This insightful and original book considers the evolution, aims and developments of EU antitrust policy, and focuses on the way in which the European Commission has sought to combat cartels.Lee McGowan expertly explores the European Commission?s cartel policy by examining competition policy from a politics/public policy perspective, and discusses the actors, ideas and policy developments involved. This topical study of EU cartel policy provides a fascinating account of supranational governance in action as the Commission looks for increasingly imaginative means to detect, unearth and penalize cartel offenders, through new regulations and strategic policy choices. The author traces the evolution of the European approach to cartels from 1870 with a major focus on the developments after 1945, especially the institutional architecture and policy advancements.This unique book will be invaluable for students of politics and European integration whose focus is on the politics and policies of the EU and, in particular, on cartel policy. It will appeal to students of law, public policy, business and European studies and will also prove enticing for those studying regulatory politics and policy making.