INTRODUCTION 2
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE ISSUE: A LONG TERM WORKING RELATIONSHIP 3
1.2. COMPETITION ON THE INTERNET MARKET: A SOCIAL DILEMMA 3
1.3. OUTCOMES OF EARLIER EFFORTS TO INCREASE COMPETITION ON THE INTERNET MARKET 4
2. PROBLEM SCOPE & SEVERITY 4
2.1. ASSESSMENT OF PAST EFFORTS 4
2.2. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONFLICT 5
2.3. NEED FOR ANALYSIS 5
3. ISSUE STATEMENT 6
3.1. THE ISSUE: THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE INTERNET MARKET IS TOO WIDE 6
3.2. THE MAIN STAKEHOLDERS EVOLVING IN THE ARENA 6
3.3. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CURRENT LEGAL FRAMEWORK 7
3.4. MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS 8
4. POLICY ALTERNATIVES 9
4.1. SOME ALTERNATIVES AND THEIR FUTURE OUTCOMES 9
3.1. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 11
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS 12
BIBLIOGRAPHY 13

INTRODUCTION

As a defender of free market and thereby of the European competition policy, ACE (the Association of Competition Economics) is hardly against the self-regulation of the internet market in Europe that quasi-monopolies try to impose through their lobbying groups.
Why? Because free market and fair competition in economics can improve the welfare of the society, for both consumers and producers.
In this perspective, we would like to highlight the importance and the urgency to implement rules for the internet market within the European Union, to ensure a free competi-tion, and to secure smaller companies as such as those competing with Microsoft on the browsers market.
The European Union is known for its strict competition policy. The Commission has to keep trying to discourage and to punish anti-competitive behavior in the European Union.
The aim of the present document is to show how much our concerns are important and compatible with the policy making in the field of Competition Policy in the European Union, as far as the European Commission as the right of proposing legislation and the role of implementation of voted policies.

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1.