This is the third of three self-contained volumes, making up the Oxford Encyclopaedia of EC Law, a major reference work on the law of the European Community/Union. The first of its kind in any language, it provides an authoritative guide to the interpretation of Community law. The first volume covered Institutional Law, and the second the Law of the Internal Market. This final volume focuses on competition law and policy, with separate entries devoted to competition law in specific business sectors, and other significant areas of competition law, such as exclusive agreements, merger control, state aid, and vertical agreements. A new edition of the volume of the Encyclopaedia covering Institutional Law (first published 1991) will be produced once the fate of the European Constitution has been decided.

The entries are arranged alphabetically, and each entry begins with a short definition of a term or concept, followed by a longer and more detailed explanation. The definitions and explanations are based on the Treaties and the legal acts of the institutions (secondary legislation), as interpreted in the extensive case-law of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance, to which full references are made in the text. The book is thoroughly cross-referenced, and each entry is followed by a reading list to facilitate further research. The volume thus contains a comprehensive and detailed coverage of its subject, reflecting the authoritative interpretation of Community law by the Community Courts.

There is a full list of entries at the beginning of the volume guiding the reader to the relevant term or concept, making the book easily accessible. There are comprehensive tables of cases, Treaties, international agreements and secondary legislation, plus an Index to the entire volume.

Prepared by a team of experts in the field of EC/EU law and competition law and policy, the volume will serve both as a reliable tool for practitioners looking for an authoritative and up-to-date explanation of a subject supported by an extensive citation of cases, and as a starting-point for advanced students or academics wishing to carry out further research in this area of the law.