Briefing
The of the Federal Government, published on the same day. They show both increased participation in the submitted the briefing on the main report “Competition 2026” of the Monopoly Commission to the German Bundestag. In it, the independent advisory body warns against blanket state interventions in price-setting and market structures, and instead recommends putting competitive solutions more consistently at the heart of policymaking.
The Commission criticises measures that suppress or set prices across the board. While such measures may aim to provide short-term relief, they distort price signals, encourage misallocation and often fail to ensure that benefits are passed on reliably to consumers. The briefing says political interventions should therefore be targeted, time-limited and specific to individual sectors.
At the same time, the Monopoly Commission stresses that state action remains necessary where there is structural market failure. In sectors prone to natural monopolies, such as parts of the network infrastructure, it recommends transparent, enforceable access rules, the promotion of infrastructure competition and more precise merger control. The powers to scrutinise mergers should be strengthened where high levels of concentration could undermine security of supply or the state’s strategic capacity to act.
The main report, submitted on 9 July 2026 to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action , analyses market structures in several sectors, including energy, Telecommunications and defence equipment. It sets out specific recommendations for lawmakers, the Federal Government, and competition and regulatory authorities. On the enforcement of competition law, the Commission points to the importance of effective merger control and a clear division of responsibilities, particularly with regard to the Federal Cartel Office.
The briefing gives the German Bundestag a basis for further parliamentary consideration. The Monopoly Commission explicitly addresses its appeal to lawmakers’ practical work: measures should be evidence-based, proportionate and designed to preserve incentives for competition. It rejects broad, lasting price interventions. Its guiding principles include safeguarding well-functioning markets, providing reliable regulatory frameworks for network infrastructure, and ensuring merger control protects long-term competitiveness and security of supply.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).