ABSTRACT
The chapter examines the development of European Court (EC) regulation. It begins by mapping the expansion which has taken diverse forms and varied across policy domains. Many factors and actors are responsible for expansion and analysis is linked to wider debates about European integration. It considers the impacts of EC regulation, 'Europeanisation' and issues of implementation/compliance and the limits of EC regulation. EC regulation has grown, expanding from removal of tariffs to dealing with non-tariff barriers and introducing Community re-regulatory standards and rules. Merger control illustrates Commission patience and persistence, discussion of empowering the Commission to vet large cross-border mergers began in 1973 and eventually led to the 1989 Merger Regulation, which covers notification and approval of mergers. EC regulation has encouraged the internationalisation of European firms through cross-border mergers and takeovers that have often been aimed at becoming European-wide suppliers, from banking and insurance mergers to cars and pharmaceuticals.
