Comparative Analysis of Approaches to Determination and Evaluation of Market Entry Barriers in the Framework of Antimonopoly Regulation

The study of the presence and surmountability of entry barriers is an integral part of the analysis of the state of competition for the antimonopoly authorities of different countries, as a result, the antimonopoly practice of different countries has accumulated a lot of experience in this matter, which the antimonopoly authorities can exchange in terms of formulating best practices and awareness of the shortcomings of the approaches used. This preprint compares the approaches of the antimonopoly authorities of Russia, the USA, the EU, Germany, Spain and Australia to the definition and measurement of entry barriers, which allows us to conclude that there are shortcomings in the approach of the FAS of Russia and the antimonopoly authorities of other countries. Among the disadvantages, the inconsistency of the approaches of antimonopoly authorities to identifying entry barriers is highlighted, which is noticeable in terms of the depth of the assessment of the surmountability of barriers. Also, in the cases reviewed by the antimonopoly authorities, there are almost no quantitative assessments of entry barriers, which shows the lack of synergy between academic research and law enforcement. Against the background of the considered practice of foreign antimonopoly authorities, the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia stands out, which often formally refers to the definition and analysis of barriers to entry into commodity markets, which leads to the absence of an analysis of barriers or a simple enumeration with a brief description of the barriers present on the market. As a result, the assessment of the surmountability of entry barriers is a groundless conclusion