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Colluding Against Environmental Regulation

Author

Listed:
  • Ale-Chilet, Jorge
  • Chen, Cuicui
  • Li, Jing
  • Reynaert, Mathias

Abstract

We study collusion among firms against imperfectly monitored environmental regulation. Firms increase variable profits by violating regulation and reduce expected noncompliance penal-ties by violating jointly. We consider a case of three German automakers colluding to reduce the effectiveness of emissions control technology. By estimating a structural model of the European automobile industry from 2007 to 2018, we find that collusion lowers expected noncompliance penalties substantially and increases buyer and producer surplus. Due to increased pollution, welfare decreases by e 1.57–5.57 billion. We show how environmental policy design and antitrust play complementary roles in preventing noncompliance.

Suggested Citation

  • Ale-Chilet, Jorge & Chen, Cuicui & Li, Jing & Reynaert, Mathias, 2021. "Colluding Against Environmental Regulation," TSE Working Papers 21-1204, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    • Handle: RePEc:tse:wpaper:125488
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    2. Kastoryano, Stephen & Vollaard, Ben, 2022. "Nautical Patrol and Illegal Fishing Practices," Discussion Paper 2022-016, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    3. Lopez, Rigoberto A. & Mohapatra, Debashrita & Steinbach, Sandro, 2024. "Mergers, store locations, and jobs: Evidence from the food retail industry," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343711, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Kastoryano, Stephen & Vollaard, Ben, 2023. "Unseen annihilation: Illegal fishing practices and nautical patrol," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    5. Heid, Pascal & Remmy, Kevin & Reynaert, Mathias, 2024. "Equilibrium Effects in Complementary Markets: Electric Vehicle Adoption and Electricity Pricing," TSE Working Papers 24-1589, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    6. Ying She & Guoliang Liu & Ling Jia & Yangu Deng & Liyuan Zhang, 2023. "Spatial-temporal Evolution of Global Aircraft Production Network: Evidence from 1741 Global Aircraft Firms," Review of Economic Assessment, Anser Press, vol. 2(1), pages 40-53, April.
    7. Chenruo Zhang & Yuchen Bi & Zijie Jiang & Xiaoru Shen, 2023. "Hometown CEOs and Pollution Emissions: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 13(6), pages 1-5.
    8. Pascal Heid & Kevin Remmy & Mathias Reynaert, 2024. "Equilibrium Effects in Complementary Markets: Electric Vehicle Adoption and Electricity Pricing," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_615, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    9. de Boon, Auvikki & Sandström, Camilla & Rose, David Christian, 2022. "Perceived legitimacy of agricultural transitions and implications for governance. Lessons learned from England’s post-Brexit agricultural transition," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Collusion; regulation; pollution; automobile market; noncompliance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L4 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies
    • L5 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy
    • L6 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics

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