Die OECD hat ein umfangreiches Werk mit dem genannten Titel publiziert. Bereits auf dem Titelblatt stellt sie fest, dass die Frage, ob Beschränkungen des Online-Handels generell pro- oder antikompetitiv sind, eine „hotly contested issue“ sei.
In seiner „Background Note“ stellt der Ökonom Buccirossi die Sache dann ziemlich plastisch klar (S. 26): „An outright ban of on-line sales within a selective distribution system is considered a hard-core restriction which amounts to an infringement by object of Article 101(1) TFEU, unless it is justified by “objective reasons”. This approach might be too strict. Indeed, one may wonder in what respects a decision to sell some products (e.g. toothpaste) only in one distribution channel (e.g. pharmacies) precluding their sales in other channels (e.g. supermarkets) is really different from the decision to prevent the sales of the same products over the Internet. Since a distribution system that excludes supermarkets is not in general presumed to unduly restrict competition, it is not clear why such a general presumption is valid when the excluded distribution channel is the electronic one.“
Und aus meiner Ökonomensicht wenig überraschend meint er generell (S. 39): „Moreover, preventing the use of the Internet is likely to affect only or mainly intra-brand competition and there is now a wide consensus that this is unlikely to hurt consumers if competition among brands is strong. Therefore, the position of the European Commission and the ECJ that a decision of a supplier to impede on-line sales of its products amounts to a hardcore restriction, which may escape the prohibition set in Article 101 only when there are (narrowly defined) objective justifications, might be too severe.“
Wäre höchste Zeit, dass dieser „wide consensus“ die EU und auch die Schweiz erreicht. In der Schweiz hat es das Parlament zur Zeit in der Hand und kippt hoffentlich das vom Bundesrat in einem bemerkenswerten Meinungsumschwung beantragte Teilkartellverbot aus der Revisionsvorlage.
Wettbewerbspolitik 