Unfair Trading Practices and Economic Laws: Comparative Study of Japan and Europe

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03156
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social law
• Research Institution: Osaka City University
• Principal Investigator: Wakui Masako 大阪市立大学, 大学院法学研究科, 特任教授 (50326245)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 優越的地位の濫用 / 不公正な取引方法 / 交渉力の格差 / 自営的就労者 / フリーランス / 独占禁止法 / 競争法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Achieving fairness in business to business (B2B) transactions has been one of the fundamental goals of Antimonopoly Law (AML) in Japan. The KAKENHI (JSPS) research project has studied how and the extent to which achieving this goal should be possible under AML and other legislation, particularly that relating to public procurement. The outcomes of the research have been published and presented at academic conferences and study meetings. One of the issues which achieved prominent focus in the research was the protection of self-employed workers and collective approaches such as through unions and co-ops; additionally, AML regulation of abuse of a bargaining position was considered in this context. The series of studies led to a re-evaluation of unfair trading practice regulation and the fining system under the AML and the outcomes have also been published in book format.

Free Research Field

経済法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来から個人事業主，一人親方，フランチャイジー，フリーランス等，交渉力を欠き，経済的社会的にも不利な地位に立つことの多い事業者をいかにどの程度保護すべきか，またこのような問題に対して独占禁止法及び競争政策がどのような関係に立つべきかは学術的にも実際上も重要な問題であった。いわゆる「雇用にならない働き方」やギグワーカーと称される労働・役務提供の社会的政策的重要性が増すようになり，この問題はさらに深刻なものとなっている。一連の研究成果は，これらの問題について解決の方向性を探求し明らかにするものである。