The Future

Abstract

Competition policy, as it affects British businessmen, has in some respects achieved maturity. Over a substantial range of business practices, the rules are well established and are consistently enforced without imposing unnecessary burdens. But uncertainties remain concerning the likely attitudes of the authorities to some business practices, and there remains a further range of practices over which competition policy exerts little deterrent influence. It would seem reasonable to expect long-term progress in those respects, but short-term trends have become difficult to discern, and some periods of instability may intervene before maturity is fully achieved.