CARTELS AND PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF CARTELS ON PRODUCTIVITY IN THE NETHERLANDS

Currently, there are only a few empirical studies that have studied the possible consequences of cartels on productivity growth. Empirical insights about cartels would be critical for competition authorities to examine and legitimize their own policies. Until 1998, the Netherlands had a permissive attitude towards cartels—cartels were required to register. The Netherlands' cartel register provides an opportunity to study the effects of cartelization on productivity growth. By using cartel and industry data on productivity growth, we estimate the impact of cartel formation, cartel presence, and cartel termination on the total productivity growth in the Netherlands between 1982 and 1998. Our research results suggest that cartel presence, indicated by registration status in the cartel register, indeed curbs productivity growth.