EU citizens’ perceptions about competition...

This survey was requested by the Directorate General for Competition and coordinated by the Directorate General for Communication

This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors.

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nFlash Eurobarometer

EU citizens perceptions about competition policy

Analytical report

Fieldwork: November 2009

EuropeanCommission

Flash EB Series #264

EU citizens perceptions about competition policy

Survey conducted by The Gallup Organization, Hungary upon the request of

Directorate General for Competition

Coordinated by Directorate General forCommunication

This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission.

The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors.

THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION

Flash EB No 264 EU citizens perceptions about competition policy Analytical report

page 3

Table of Contents

Introduction .....................................................................................................................................4

Main findings .......................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

1. Perceptions about competition policy..........................................................................................7

2. Information about competition policy .......................................................................................17

2.1 Have EU citizens recently heard about competition policy? ....................................................17

2.2 The need to be better informed about competition policy........................................................18

3. Perceptions about a lack of competition in various sectors ......................................................22

3.1 Sectors characterised by a lack of competition........................................................................22

3.2 Main problems in sectors with a lack of competition...............................................................30

I. Annex tables ...............................................................................................................................42

II. Survey details ............................................................................................................................71

III. Questionnaire ..........................................................................................................................74

Analytical report Flash EB No 264 EU citizens perceptions about competition policy

page 4

Introduction

The current Flash Eurobarometer EU citizens perceptions about competition policy (No 264) was requested by the European Commissions DG Competition. Its objective was to measure EU citizens perceptions about EU competition policy and their views about a possible lack of competition in certain important sectors.

In detail, the survey examined EU citizens:

perceptions about the advantages of competition between companies, positions about various aspects of competition policy, awareness about competition topics and the perceived need for information, views about a lack of competition in certain sectors (e.g. energy and transport), and opinions about the main problems in sectors thought to have a lack of competition.

The surveys fieldwork was carried out between 16 and 20 November 2009. Over 25,000 randomly selected citizens aged 15 years and over were interviewed in the 27 EU Member States. Interviews were predominantly carried out via fixed-line telephone, reaching ca. 1,000 EU citizens in each country (in Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta the targeted size was 500). To correct for sampling disparities, a post-stratification weighting of the results was implemented, based on key socio-demographic variables.

Please note that due to rounding, the percentages shown in the charts and tables do not always exactly add up to the totals: a) mentioned in the text, and b) within some of the charts.


page 5

Main Findings

Perceptions about competition policy

Citizens in all Member States were in agreement that competition between companies could lead to better prices and/or more choice for consumers: the level of agreement about the possibility of better prices ranged from 62% in Hungary to 92% in Ireland and Cyprus, and for more choice from 65% in Belgium to 92% in Ireland and Cyprus.

A large majority of interviewees in almost all Member States also agreed that competition policy should prohibit agreements on prices between companies. In just five countries, more than a quarter of respondents doubted that price agreements should be prohibited: Malta (36%), Spain (29%), Ireland (27%), Luxembourg and Greece (both 26%).

There was considerable variation in EU citizens perceptions about competition policy across Member States.

For almost all statements, the proportion of respondents who gave a dont know response or who did not consider themselves qualified to answer was the highest in Belgium. The proportion of respondents who did not reply was, however, also high in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania.

Men, respondents aged between 25 and 54 and those with a higher level of education were most likely to agree that competition between companies delivered benefits. Women, the over 54 year-olds, those with the lowest level of education and non-working respondents, on the other hand, were consistently more likely to give a dont know or a not qualified response.

Information about competition policy

In a majority of EU Member States, at least half of interviewees answered that they had heard or read about competition between companies via the media in the last year Germany and Finland led the way: in these countries, 80%-81% of respondents had heard or read about the topic.

Slightly more than 4 in 10 EU citizens selected state aid control as an area of competition policy about which they would like to be better informed. In most Member States, all other policy areas listed in the survey were selected by smaller proportions.

The proportion of respondents who answered that they were already sufficiently informed about each of the areas of competition policy remained below 5% in almost all Member States.

Bulgarian, Slovak, Polish and Estonian citizens most frequently answered that they were not interested in becoming more informed about competition policy (25%-27%). In Ireland, the UK and Malta, on the other hand, less than 1 in 20 respondents gave a similar answer (1%-4%).

Respondents aged between 40 and 54, those with the highest level of education, employees and self-employed respondents were more likely than their counterparts to express a need for information about each of the competition policy areas listed in the survey.

Respondents with the highest level of education, employees and the self-employed most frequently said they had read or heard about competition topics in the media during the last year (between 66% and 70%).


page 6

Sectors characterised by a lack of competition

When EU citizens were asked in which sectors a lack of competition in terms of prices and product choice was causing the most problems for consumers, 44% chose the energy sector (gas and electricity). All other sectors were selected by half as many or less respondents.

In 25 of the 27 Member States, the largest proportion of interviewees selected the energy sector as the one where consumers had the most problems because of a lack of competition. Nonetheless, a large variation was observed in the proportion of respondents that chose this sector: in Latvia and Malta, more than two-thirds of respondents listed the energy sector, while in Italy, just a fifth made that choice.

The pharmaceutical product sector was seen to be suffering from a lack of competition by 25% of respondents, 21% mentioned telecommunications and Internet, 19% referred to transport services, 18% named financial services and 16% cited food distribution.

The telecommunications and Internet sector was most frequently selected by young people as the one where a lack of competition was causing problems for consumers: 26% of 15-24 year-olds chose this sector, but this proportion deceased to 17% for over 54 year-olds.

The main competition problem according to EU citizens across all sectors and across all countries was that prices were too high: between 74% and 80% were of that opinion. Roughly half of respondents, or less, mentioned one of the other problems (e.g. difficulties in changing suppliers, unsatisfactory quality).

Respondents with the lowest level of education were each time more likely than their more educated counterparts to identify (too) high prices as the main problem, while the latter were each time more likely to mention another type of problem.


page 7

1. Perceptions about competition policy

More than 8 in 10 EU citizens agreed that competition between companies could lead to better pricesfor consumers (50% totally agreed and 32% somewhat agreed) and the same proportion thought that such competition would give more choice (49% totally agreed and 33% somewhat agreed). EU citizens were, however, somewhat less likely to agree that controlling competition between companies at national and European levels would benefit consumers and society: 71% in totalagreed, and just 36% totally agreed.

About 8 in 10 EU citizens also thought that small companies needed to be protected from large companies competition (51% totally agreed and 30% somewhat agreed) and 7 in 10 were of the opinion that mergers between large companies distorted competition (37% totally agreed and 32% somewhat agreed). A large majority of respondents also thought that companies should not be allowed to make agreements on prices between themselves: 70% in total agreed, and 48% totally agreed.

Finally, roughly two-thirds of EU citizens agreed that companies that received financial aid from governments might have an unfair advantage over their competitors (35% totally agreed and 32% somewhat agreed); however, just 47% totally or somewhat agreed and 37% disagreed that such companies should not be allowed to compete on a European level. It should be noted that a considerable number of respondents found it difficult to formulate an opinion about the latter statement: 11% gave a dont know response and 7% did not consider themselves qualified to answer.

Perceptions about competition between companies and competition policy

50

49

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36

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Competition between companies allows for better prices for consumers

Competition between companies allows for more choice for consumers

Small companies need to be protected from large companies' competition

Controlling competition between companies at national and European level provides benefits to consumers and to the

society in our country

Agreements on prices between companies should not be allowed

Mergers between large companies distort competition

Financial aid from governments to companies may give these companies an unfair advantage over their competitors

Companies that receive financial aid from their governments should not be allowed to compete on a European level

Totally agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Totally disagree I am not qualified to answer DK/NA

Q1. For each of the following statements, please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree:

Base: all respondents, % EU27

Country variations

Citizens in all Member States were in agreement that competition between companies could lead to better prices and/or more choice for consumers. The overall level of agreement (i.e. the sum of totally agree and tend to agree responses) for the statement on better prices ranged from 62% in Hungary to 92% in Ireland and Cyprus. The proportion that agreed with the latter statement (more choice) ranged from 65% in Belgium to 92% in Ireland and Cyprus.


page 8

Although little variation was seen in the overall level of agreement in the countries where respondents were the most likely to agree with the above-mentioned statements (ranging from 85% to 92%), thesecountries did differ in terms of the proportion of respondents who totally agreed.

For example, between 87% and 92% of respondents in Spain, Greece and Cyprus agreed that competition between companies offered advantages to consumers in terms of price or choice. However, while more than three-quarters of respondents in Cyprus and Greece totally agreed that competition between companies could lead to better prices for consumers (79% and 76%, respectively); this proportion was only 42% in Spain. Similarly, 82% of Cypriots and 73% of Greeks totally agreed that competition would provide consumers with more choice, compared to 41% of respondents in Spain.

Similarities could also be seen among the countries where respondents were the least likely to agree with these statements: Hungarian and Belgian respondents were the least likely to agree that competition between companies would lead to better prices (62% and 65%, respectively) and that it would allow more choice for consumers (66% and 65%, respectively). Furthermore, just about a third of Hungarians and Belgians totally agreed that competition between companies offered such advantages to consumers (30% and 32%, respectively, for better prices; 37% and 35%, respectively, for more choice).

Competition between companies allows for better prices for consumers

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Competition between companies allows for more choice for consumers

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Base: all respondents, % by country


page 9

Respondents in Hungary and Belgium were also the least likely to agree with the next statement 56% of Belgians and 57% of Hungarians agreed that safeguarding competition at national and European levels would benefit consumers and their countrys society. In this case, however, they were joined by Estonia (57% in total agreed), Slovakia (58%), Romania (60%), Lithuania (60%), Bulgaria (61%) and Latvia (63%).

In Slovenia, Cyprus and Greece, on the other hand, more than 8 in 10 respondents agreed that safeguarding competition between companies at national and European levels would benefit consumers and society (87%, 85% and 83%, respectively). Furthermore, 65% of Greeks and 70% of Cypriots totally agreed with this statement, but this proportion was lower in Slovenia at 52%.

Across all Member States, just a minority of respondents disagreed that safeguarding competitionbetween companies at national and European levels would have its benefits the overall level of disagreement ranged from 6% in Lithuania to 21% in Hungary and the UK. In the countries where respondents were the least likely to express agreement, between a quarter and a third of respondents gave a dont know response or did not consider themselves qualified to answer; for example, 26% of Romanians, 29% of Bulgarians and 33% of Lithuanians did not respond.

Controlling competition between companies at national and European level provides benefits to consumers and to the society in our country

52

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More than three-quarters of Swedish, Austrian, German, Finnish, Slovenian and Danish respondents thought that agreement on prices between companies should not be allowed (between 76% and 82% totally agree and tend to agree responses). Respondents in these Member States were also the ones most frequently likely to totally agree that this should not be allowed: ranging from 59% in Finland to 67% in Denmark.

In Malta and Belgium, on the other hand, the overall level of agreement just reached 50%-53%. In total, 36% of Maltese respondents disagreed and 25% totally disagreed that price agreements between companies should not be allowed. In Belgium, however, just 21% expressed such disagreement respondents in this country were, once again, the most likely not to answer this question (2% not qualified and 25% dont know responses). Other countries where more than a quarter of respondents doubted whether price agreements between companies should be disallowed were Spain (29% disagreed), Ireland (27%), Greece and Luxembourg (both 26%).


page 10

Agreements on prices between companies should not be allowed

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The overall level of agreement for the statement that mergers between large companies distorted competition ranged from 49% in Romania to 80% in Slovenia. The overall level of disagreement showed less variation and ranged from 11% in Portugal and Sweden to 25% in Greece, Ireland and the Netherlands. In the countries with the lowest levels of agreement, respondents were once again more likely to leave this question unanswered than that they were to express their disagreement; for example, 35% of Romanians, 32% of Bulgarians and 28% of Belgians gave a dont know response or considered themselves not qualified to answer.

Focusing on those choosing the more extreme positive response i.e. those who totally agreed it was noted that in about half of the countries not more than a third of respondents chose this possibility (between 28% and 33%), while in Cyprus, Austria and Greece, half or more respondents totally agreed that mergers between large companies distorted competition (61%, 51% and 49%, respectively).

Mergers between large companies distort competition

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page 11

In all Member States (with the exception of Denmark), more than two-thirds of interviewees agreed that small companies needed to be protected from large companies competition: respondents in Greece and Cyprus led the way in this view (92% and 91%, respectively). Furthermore, in half of the countries, at least one in two respondents totally agreed that this should be the case; Cypriots and Greeks were once again the most likely to express their strong agreement (80%-81%).

Denmark stood out from the pack not so much because only a slim majority (55%) of Danes agreed that small companies needed to be protected from large companies competition, but especially because 4 in 10 of them disagreed that such protection was needed (27% tended to disagree and 14% totally disagreed). In all other countries, however, less than a quarter of respondents expressed disagreement (between 7% and 22%).

Small companies need to be protected from large companies competition

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In all Member States, at least half of interviewees thought that companies that received financial aid from governments might have an unfair advantage over their competitors. Respondents in the Czech Republic and Denmark were the most likely to agree with this statement (77%-78%), while those in Belgium were the least likely to do so (54%). In about half of the countries, a relative majority of respondents totally agreed (e.g. 43% in Germany, Sweden and Denmark); in most other countries, the dominant response was tend to agree (e.g. 42% in Finland and 36% in Lithuania).

Respondents in Slovenia, Ireland, Greece and France were the most likely to doubt whether state aid would give companies an unfair advantage compared to their competitors: more than a quarter of respondents, in total, disagreed (26%-28%) and at least one-tenth totally disagreed. Respondents in Belgium, Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania, on the other hand, were the most likely not to answer this question (between 26% and 30%).


page 12

Financial aid from governments to companies may give these companies an unfair advantage over their competitors

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For all of the statements discussed so far, across almost all countries, a large majority of respondents expressed their agreement, while a minority disagreed. A different picture emerged when looking at the levels of agreement and disagreement for the statement that companies that received financial aid from their governments should not be allowed to compete on a European level.

Respondents in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Cyprus were the most likely to agree with statement (64%, 61% and 57%, respectively). In 19 countries, however, less than half of interviewees tended to agree or totally agree that companies receiving state aid should not be allowed to compete on a European level, and the overall level of agreement was the lowest in Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Belgium (between 33% and 39%).

In about 10 countries, the proportion of respondents who disagreed with this statement was similar to the proportion of those who agreed; for example, 43% of Finns agreed, and 44% disagreed, that companies receiving financial aid from their governments should not be allowed to compete on a European level. In just two countries, respondents who disagreed outnumbered those who agreed: Malta (33% agreed vs. 42% disagreed) and Ireland (43% agreed vs. 51% disagreed).

In accordance with the results for the EU overall, a considerable proportion of respondents across all Member States found it difficult to formulate an opinion on this topic. The proportion of dont know and not qualified responses ranged from less than a tenth in Greece and Ireland (both 8%) to about a third in Bulgaria (33%) and Belgium (34%).


page 13

Companies that receive financial aid from their governments should not be allowed to compete on a European level

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The chart on the next page shows for each country the statements about competition and competition policy that respondents were the most likely to agree with (i.e. the sum of totally agree and tend to agree responses).

As noted above, citizens in almost all Member States have rather similar views regarding the benefits of competition in 25 Member States, some of the largest proportions of respondents agreed that competition between companies could lead to better prices and/or more choice for consumers. For example, 86% of respondents in Slovakia agreed that competition between companies would provide consumers with more choice (first position) and 80% agreed that such competition would lead to better prices (second position). The statement in third position with 72% of Slovaks expressing agreement was that small companies needed protection from large companies competition. The latter statement appeared in the top three statements receiving the highest levels of agreement in another 21 Member States.

The chart again shows that there was considerable variation in the perceptions of EU citizens across Member States. For example, in Belgium, the overall level of agreement for each of the statements remained below 70%, while in Greece and Cyprus, at least 90% of respondents agreed with the highest ranked statements in all cases. Finally, an analysis distinguishing between EU15 countries1 and NMS12 countries2 did not reveal a consistent pattern; nonetheless, some eastern European countries, such as Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, were regularly found among the countries where respondents were the least likely to agree with a statement.

1 EU15: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom 2 NMS12: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia


page 14

83

79

78

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71

67

90

90

83

87

79

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83

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81

protecting small companies

better prices

benefits of control


price agreements

more choice

more choice

better pricesprotecting small

companies

better prices

more choice

benefits of control


better prices

more choice

more choice


companies

better prices

more choiceprotecting small

companies

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT

68

65

65

77

71

70

85

84

77

90

88

81

87

83

79

86

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74

92

90

90


more choice

better prices


companiesbetter prices

more choice

better prices

unfair adv. of state aid

better prices

more choice

price agreements

better prices


companies

more choice


companies

protecting small companiesbetter prices

more choice

BE

BG

CZ

DK

DE

EE

EL

88

87

86

88

78

77

92

92

86

81

80

78

92

92

91

87

86

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78

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73


more choice

better prices

protecting small companiesbetter prices

more choice

more choice


companies


companiesmore choice

more choice


companies



better prices


companies

ES

FR

IE

IT

CY

LV

LT

73

73

72

90

86

85

86

80

72

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87

79

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more choice

benefits of control

better prices

more choice


companies

better prices


companies

better prices

more choice

mergers

better prices


companies

RO

SI

SK

FI

SE

UK

Q1. For each of the following statements, please tell me whether

you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree:% totally agree and tend to agree,

by country

Perceptions about competition between companies and competition policy(three statements with the highest level of agreement)

Socio-demographic considerations

Gender

Although differences were small, men were more likely than women to agree that competition between companies would lead to better prices for consumers (85% vs. 81%), that such competition would provide consumers with more choice (84% vs. 80%) and that additional benefits could come from safeguarding competition at national and European levels (75% vs. 69%). Men and women did not differ much in terms of the proportion of respondents who disagreed with these statements, but women were more likely not to formulate an opinion: for example, 8% of women gave a dont know or non-qualified response when asked whether they agreed or disagreed that competition would lead to better prices for consumers, compared to 3% of men.

Men were also more likely to agree with most of the statements about competition policy, while women were each time more likely not to say whether they agreed or disagreed. The largest difference between men and women in their level of agreement was observed for the statement about prohibiting price agreements between companies: 64% of women and 75% of men agreed with this notion. The difference in dont know and non-qualified responses was the largest for the statement about allowing companies that received state aid to compete on a European level (12% of men vs. 22% of women).

The only exceptions to the above patterns were observed for the statement about small companies needing protection from large companies competition. In this case, women were somewhat more likely to agree that such protection was necessary (82% vs. 79% of men), while men were more likely to disagree (16% vs. 9% of women).

Age

Respondents aged between 25 and 54 appeared to see the most advantages of competition between companies: they were most likely to agree that competition would lead to better prices and more


page 15

choice for consumers and that safeguarding competition at national and European levels would bring benefits for all. For example, three-quarters of 25-54 year-olds agreed with the last-named statement, compared to 67% of over 54s and 70% of 15-24 year-olds.

Respondents aged 25-54 were also more likely to agree with each of the statements about competition policy and thus were more likely to accept a policy that prohibited agreements on prices, controlled mergers and state aid control, and protected small companies. Younger respondents, on the other hand, more frequently disagreed with these statements. For example, 71% of 25-39 year-olds and 74% of 40-54 year-olds agreed that mergers between large companies distorted competition; this proportion decreased to 65%-66% for the youngest and oldest respondents. Furthermore, 24% of the youngest respondents disagreed that such mergers distorted competition compared to 16% of the over 54s, 17% of 40-54 year-olds and 20% of 25-39 year-olds.

Finally, the over 54 year-olds were consistently more likely to give a dont know or not qualified response. For example, 17% of them did not say whether they agreed or disagreed that financial aid from governments to companies might give them an unfair advantage over their competitors; the corresponding proportions for the other age groups were between 9% and 12%.

Level of education

The higher the respondents level of education, the more likely they were to agree that competition between companies brought certain advantages: for example, 76% of respondents with the lowest level of education agreed that competition between companies would lead to better prices for consumers; this proportion increased to 86% for the most educated respondents. Respondents with a higher level of education were also more likely to agree that mergers between large companies might distort competition (75% vs. 61% of the least educated respondents), that companies that received state aid might have an unfair advantage over their competitors (73% vs. 59%) and that price agreements between companies should be prohibited (77% vs. 61%).

Respondents with the highest level of education, however, were more likely to doubt whether small companies should be protected from large companies competition and whether companies that received state aid should not be allowed to compete on a European level: 18% disagreed with the former statement and 42% with the latter the corresponding proportions for the least educated respondents were 8% and 28%, respectively.

Finally, as for the oldest respondents, those with the lowest level of education were each time more likely to leave a question unanswered. The difference in dont know and non-qualified responses was the largest for the statement about possible unfair advantages for companies that received state aid (7% of respondents with the highest level of education vs. 22% of those with the lowest level).

Occupational status

Non-working respondents were less likely than those in employment to agree with most of the statements about competition between companies and competition policy. Similar to the findings for over 54 year-olds, non-working respondents found it most difficult to answer this question and they most frequently answered that they did not know whether they agreed or disagreed or that they did not feel qualified to answer this question. For example, 22% of non-working respondents did not say whether they agreed or disagreed that companies that received state aid should not be allowed to compete on a European level, compared to 12%-13% of working respondents.

Although the proportions of self-employed, employees and manual workers that tended to agree or totally agreed did not differ much for most statements, the self-employed were each time more likely to totally agree with a statement. For example, while 43% of self-employed respondents totally agreedthat safeguarding competition at national and European levels would benefit society and consumers, this proportion decreased to 38% for employees and 37% for manual workers.


page 16

The only exceptions to these patterns were observed for statements about protecting small companies from large companies competition and about allowing companies that received state aid to compete on a European level. The self-employed and employees were more likely than manual workers and non-working respondents to disagree with these two statements. For example, about 4 in 10 employees and self-employed respondents (41%-42%) disagreed with the latter statement, compared to just a third of manual workers and non-working respondents (both 33%).

Place of residence

City dwellers and rural residents did not differ much in their opinions about competition between companies and competition policy. The largest difference in the level of agreement was observed for the statement about prohibiting price agreements: while 73% of respondents living in metropolitan residents agreed that such agreements between companies should not be allowed, the corresponding proportions for respondents in other urban and rural areas was somewhat lower at 69%.

Perceptions about competition between companies and competition policy(% totally agree and tend to agree )

Com

pet

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n b

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com

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Com

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com

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Smal

l com

pan

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fro

m la

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com

pan

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co

mp

etit

ion

Con

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mp

etit

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bet

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com

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at n

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nal

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d

Eu

rop

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leve

l pro

vid

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enef

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to c

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mer

s an

d t

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Agr

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betw

een

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ould

not

be

allo

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Mer

gers

bet

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Fin

anci

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rom

gov

ern

men

ts

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s m

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thes

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mp

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van

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mp

etit

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Com

pan

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that

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fin

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aid

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men

ts

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ld n

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low

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Eu

rop

ean

leve

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EU27 83 82 81 72 69 69 67 47

SEX

Male 85 84 79 75 75 73 72 49

Female 81 80 82 69 64 66 63 44

AGE

15 - 24 84 81 77 70 60 65 63 40

25 - 39 87 85 83 75 72 71 69 47

40 - 54 84 84 82 76 74 74 72 49

55 + 79 78 81 67 69 66 65 48

EDUCATION

(end of)

Until 15 years of age 76 76 81 64 61 61 59 46

16 - 20 83 83 84 73 71 70 68 50

20 + 86 85 78 76 77 75 73 45

Still in education 84 80 76 70 60 64 64 38

URBANISATION

Metropolitan 84 84 80 74 73 72 67 47

Urban 83 82 81 72 69 69 68 48

Rural 83 81 81 71 69 69 67 45

OCCUPATION

Self-employed 86 84 81 74 71 74 74 47

Employee 86 86 81 77 75 75 71 46

Manual worker 84 83 82 73 72 71 68 54

Not working 80 78 80 68 65 65 64 46


Base: all respondents, % totally agree and tend to agree by socio-demographics


page 17

2. Information about competition policy

2.1 Have EU citizens recently heard about competition policy?

Almost 6 in 10 (58%) EU citizens had heard something about competition between companies or about competition policy on TV or radio, or had read something about these topics on the Internet, or in a newspaper or journal in the last year.

In a majority of EU Member States (22 out of 27), at least half of interviewees had heard about competition between companies in the media in the last year Germany and Finland led the way: in these countries, 80%-81% of respondents had heard or read about the topic. In Romania, on the other hand, just 3 in 10 (29%) respondents said they had read or heard about competition topics in the media in the last year. In four other countries, less than half of respondents answered affirmatively to this question: Spain (47%), Lithuania (44%), Belgium (41%) and Estonia (39%).

Have respondents heard or read about competition in the media in the last year?

81 80 74 73 72 68 68 66 6659 59 58 58 55 55 54 54 53 53 52 50 50 50 47 44 41 39

29

17 20 25 25 2627 27 29 33

36 41 38 39 43 43 41 44 45 41 46 45 44 45 5146

3955

62

2 0 1 2 2 5 5 5 1 5 1 4 3 1 2 6 2 2 6 1 5 7 5 1 1021

6 9

0

20

40

60

80

100

FI

DE SI NL

AT

SE DK

LV

LU

MT IE HU

EU

27 UK IT CZ

EL

FR

SK CY

PL

BG PT

ES

LT

BE

EE

RO

Yes No DK/NA

Q2. Concerning the issues that we just discussed, have you heard or read in the media (TV, radio, Internet, press, etc.) about competition in the last year?


It was noted in the previous chapter that respondents in certain countries such as Belgium and Romania were consistently among the most likely not to formulate an opinion when presented with a statement about competition between companies or about competition policy (i.e. they gave a dont know or not qualified response). Respondents in these countries were also among the least likely to have heard or read anything about these topics in the media in the past year: for example, 29% in Romania and 41% in Belgium compared to an EU average of 58%.


Respondents with the highest level of education, employees and the self-employed most frequently answered that they had read or heard about competition topics in the media in the last year (between 66% and 70% compared to, for example, 44% of the least educated respondents and 50% of manual workers).

Men, respondents between 25 and 54 years-of-age and those living in metropolitan areas were also more likely than their counterparts to have read or heard about competition between companies or about competition policy in the last year. For example, 62% of men answered yes to this question, compared to 55% of women.

For more details, see annex table 9b.


page 18

2.2 The need to be better informed about competition policy

Slightly more than 4 in 10 (43%) EU citizens selected state aid control as an area of competition policy about which they would like to be better informed. A considerable number of respondents also expressed the need for information about the prohibition of agreements among cartel members to fix prices (32%) or about big companies abusing their strong position (29%). Finally, 22% of interviewees would like to learn more about how mergers between companies were controlled in competition policy.

Just 3% of respondents said they were already sufficiently informed about all topics. About 1 in 10 (11%) interviewees did not want to receive any information as they were not interested in competition policy. A similar proportion (13%) did not answer this question or said they did not know about which area of competition policy they would like to be better informed.

Areas of competition policy where respondents feel the need to be better informed

43

32

29

22

11

3

13

Controlling financial aid from governments to companies

Prohibiting agreements on prices (cartels)

Prohibiting the abuse of a strong position of big companies

Controlling the merger of companies

None of these - not interested

None of these - already sufficiently informed

DK/NA

Q6. On which field of competition policy do you feel the need to be better informed?Base: all respondents, % EU27

Country variations

The proportion of respondents who would like to learn more about the control of financial aid from governments to companies ranged from about a fifth in Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Belgium (21%-22%) to a majority in Greece, the UK, Germany and France (between 54% and 59%). Other countries where about half of respondents expressed the need for more information about state aid control were Luxembourg, Hungary, Ireland, Austria and Cyprus (48%-50%).

Respondents feel the need to be better informed about: Controlling financial aid from governments to companies

5955 55 54 50 50 49 49 48

43 43 41 41 4137 34 34 32 30 30 28 27 24 24 22 21 21 21

0

20

40

60

80

100

FR

DE

UK

EL

CY

AT IE HU

LU

EU

27 SI

NL

ES

DK

LV FI

MT

RO PL

SE PT IT CZ

EE

BE

SK BG LT

Q6. On which field of competition policy do you feel the need to be better informed?Base: all respondents, % by country


page 19

More than 4 in 10 German, Hungarian and Irish interviewees mentioned the prohibition of price agreements among cartel members as an area of competition policy about which they would like to be better informed (44%-45%). Austria, France, Greece and the UK followed with roughly 4 in 10 respondents who mentioned this area of competition policy (38%-40%). In Belgium, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, on the other hand, only half as many respondents would like to be more informed about cartels and price agreements (between 16% and 18%).

Respondents feel the need to be better informed about: Prohibiting agreements on prices (cartels)

45 44 4440 39 39 38 35 33 32 30 29 29 29 28 28 28 27 26 26 25 25 24 22 18 17 16 16

0

20

40

60

80

100

IE HU

DE

UK

EL

FR

AT

CY

DK

EU

27 LU SI

MT FI

EE

LT

LV PT IT NL

SE ES

RO PL

BG CZ

SK BE


Germans and Hungarians were also the most likely to feel the need to have more information about how competition policy prohibited large companies from abusing their strong position (42% and 41%, respectively). In Bulgaria, Portugal, Belgium and Italy, however, less than one in six respondents expressed such a need (between 14% and 16%).

Respondents feel the need to be better informed about: Prohibiting the abuse of a strong position of big companies

42 41 37 36 35 35 35 34 33 33 29 29 28 28 28 27 25 24 23 21 20 20 18 18 16 16 16 14

0

20

40

60

80

100

DE

HU IE UK AT

FR

LU

DK SI FI

MT

EU

27 ES

NL

SE CY

LV

CZ

EE

LT

EL

SK RO PL IT BE

PT

BG


Bulgarian respondents were not only among the least interested in the above-mentioned areas of competition policy, but they were also the least likely to select the control of company mergers as an area where they would like to be better informed selected by just 7%. In Slovakia, Romania and Belgium, not more than 1 in 10 respondents expressed the need to be more informed about the control of company mergers (8%-10%).

In sharp contrast, almost 4 in 10 (38%) Irish respondents and about a third of those in German and Cyprus (32%-34%) felt the need to be better informed about policies to control company mergers.


page 20

Respondents feel the need to be better informed about: Controlling the merger of companies

38 34 32 31 31 29 26 25 24 23 22 22 19 18 17 17 16 14 14 14 14 13 12 12 10 10 8 7

0

20

40

60

80

100IE CY

DE

FR

AT

UK

LU SI

HU

DK EL

EU

27 FI

MT

NL

ES

SE IT

LT

LV PT

CZ

PL

EE

BE

RO SK BG


In most Member States, compared to state aid control, all other policy areas listed in the survey were selected by smaller proportions of respondents. The only exceptions were Estonia and Lithuania where prohibiting price agreements was selected by the largest proportion of respondents (both 28%), and the Czech Republic where prohibiting large companies from abusing their strong position was selected by as many respondents as state aid control (24% each).

The proportion of respondents who felt they were already sufficiently informed about each of the areas of competition policy remained below 5% in almost all Member States. In Belgium, Poland, Italy, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, between 5% and 8% of interviewees already felt sufficiently informed.

In accordance with the above-mentioned results, Bulgarian and Slovak citizens most frequently answered that they were not interested in becoming better informed about competition policy (26%-27%) a figure similar to the situation in Poland and Estonia (25%-26%). In Ireland, the UK and Malta, on the other hand, less than 1 in 20 respondents gave such an answer (1%-4%).

Respondents feel the need to be better informed about: None of these, not interested

27 26 26 2521 21 20

15 14 13 12 11 11 11 10 9 9 9 9 7 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 10

20

40

60

80

100

SK BG

EE

PL

HU CZ

LT

RO LV FI

SE PT

FR

EU

27 BE ES

NL

DK IT EL

AT

LU SI CY

DE

MT

UK IE


Although Belgian respondents were also, each time, among the least likely to feel the need to be more informed about an area of competition policy, they were not particularly likely to show a lack of interest in becoming better informed. More than a third (35%) of Belgians did not answer this question or said they did not know about which area of competition policy they would like to be better informed. Other countries with a high level of dont know responses were Portugal (30%), Italy (25%), Sweden and Romania (both 24%).

For more details, see annex table 14a.


page 21


Respondents aged between 40 and 54, those with the highest level of education, employees and self-employed respondents were more likely than their counterparts to express a need for information about each of the competition policy areas listed in the survey. For example, almost half (49%) of the most educated respondents felt the need to be more informed about how competition policy could control financial aid from governments to companies, compared to just above a third (34%) of respondents with the lowest level of education.

Women, the youngest and oldest respondents, those with the lowest level of education, manual workers and those not working were somewhat less interested in becoming better informed about any of the areas of competition policy (for example, this response was given by 13% of 15-24 year-olds, compared to 9% of 40-54 year-olds). However, these respondents were also much more likely than their counterparts to answer that they did not know about which area of competition policy they would like to be better informed. For example, while 8% of the most educated respondents gave a dont know response, this proportion increased to 23% for the least educated ones.

For more details, see annex table 14b.


page 22

3. Perceptions about a lack of competition in various sectors

3.1 Sectors characterised by a lack of competition

When respondents were asked to nominate, from a list of six sectors, the one that was characterised by a lack of competition in terms of price and product choice in the first place, 3 in 10 chose the energy sector (gas and electricity). Slightly more than 1 in 10 (12%) interviewees indicated that based on their own experiences most problems occurred in the sector of pharmaceutical products (medicines and health-related products) and the same proportion (12%) mentioned the telecommunications and Internet sector. Transport services, financial services and food distribution were all chosen by slightly less than 10% of interviewees (8%-9%) as the sector where a lack of competition was causing the most problems for consumers.

Respondents were also asked if there was a second sector in which they thought that a lack of competition was causing problems. Adding up the percentages of the first and second selections, the sector ranking (see chart below) remained the same at the EU level. Almost half (44%) of respondents chose the energy sector as the one where most problems occurred. All other sectors were listed by fewer respondents; using this logic, the pharmaceutical product sector was seen to be suffering from a lack of competition by 25% of respondents, and 21% mentioned the telecommunications and Internet sector. Finally, 19% of interviewees nominated transport services, 18% selected financial services and 16% nominated food distribution.

Sectors where a lack of competition is causing the most problems for consumers

30

12

12

9

9

8

1

5

13

14

13

9

10

9

8

1

9

9

44

25

21

19

18

16

3

energy (gas and electricity)

pharmaceutical products (medicines, health-related products)

telecommunications and Internet

transport services (railways, airlines etc.)

financial services (banks, insurance etc.)

food distribution

other sector

none of these

DK/NA

firstly secondly in total

Q3. Based on your own experience, in which of the following sectors is a lack of competition, in prices and product choice, causing the most problems for

consumers? Firstly? Any other?Base: all respondents, % EU27

Just 3% of respondents said that there was a sector, other than the ones listed in the survey, where a lack of competition was causing the most problems for consumers. These other sectors included the automotive industry, agriculture, construction, gasoline & fuel, health care services, water supply and postal services.

Five percent of EU citizens said there was not a lack of competition in the listed sectors or that, based on their own experiences, a lack of competition was not causing any problems for consumers. Another 9% listed just one sector as problematic but said that there were no problems in any of the other sectors listed in the survey.

A considerable proportion of respondents said they did not know in which sectors a lack of competition was causing the most problems for consumers: 13% when asked about a sector in the first place and 9% when asked to select a second sector.


page 23

Country variations

In the following section, we look at variations by Member State, based on the total percentages of respondents who indicated that a certain sector was characterised by a lack of competition that was causing many problems for consumers.

A large variation was observed in the proportion of respondents who identified the energy sector (gas and electricity) as the one where a lack of competition was causing problems for consumers. In Latvia and Malta, more than two-thirds of respondents listed this sector (67% and 69%, respectively), while in Italy and Denmark, not more than a quarter did so (21% and 25%, respectively).

Estonia, Germany, Hungary and Portugal joined Latvia and Malta with more than 6 in 10 respondents selecting the energy sector as one where a lack of competition caused problems for consumers (between 60% and 64%).

Energy (gas and electricity)

4857

50 48 4351 46 45 44 44 47 40 36 31 32 30 27 23 22 21 24 25 23 16 14 16 17 13

2110

13 1417

9 13 14 14 13 812 16

16 12 14 1617 18 19 15 13 11

17 15 12 78

69 67 64 62 60 60 59 59 58 57 55 52 5147 44 44 43

40 40 40 39 3935 33

29 28 2521

0

20

40

60

80

100

MT

LV PT

HU

DE

EE

PL

CZ

LT

SK BG

RO CY SI AT

EU

27 ES

EL

LU BE FI

UK SE FR IE NL

DK IT

firsty secondly in total

Q3. Based on your own experience, in which of the following sectors is a lack of competition, in prices and product choice, causing the most problems for consumers? Firstly? Any other?


Sector where a lack of competition is causing the most problems for consumers:

Slightly more than 4 in 10 Maltese and Irish respondents chose the pharmaceutical product sector (medicines, health-related products) as the one where a lack of competition, in price and product choice, was causing problems for consumers (43% and 41%, respectively). In Belgium, Slovakia, Portugal, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, however, less than a sixth of respondents selected this sector (between 13% and 16%).


page 24

Pharmaceutical products (medicines, health-related products)

20 25 19 17 21 22 14 18 13 18 8 14 11 13 13 1215 11 10 14 8 12 5 6 6 6 4 6

23 16 19 20 15 13 20 14 17 1221 15 17 14 13 13 10 10 11 7 12 8 14 11 10 9 10 7

43 41 38 37 36 35 34 32 30 30 29 29 28 27 26 25 2522 21 20 20 20 19 16 16 15 14 13

0

20

40

60

80

100M

T IE EL

CY SI FI

DE

LU LT

DK

LV

AT

EE

FR

UK

EU

27 NL

ES

RO IT PL

SE HU CZ

BG PT

SK BE





The proportion of respondents who indicated that based on their own experiences they mostly had problems, due to a lack of competition in terms of pricing and product choice, in the telecommunications and Internet sector ranged from less than a tenth in Hungary and Malta (7%-8%) to a third or more in Cyprus and Belgium (33% and 35%, respectively). In Spain and France, about 3 in 10 (30%-31%) respondents answered that a lack of competition in the telecommunications and Internet sector caused problems for consumers.

Telecommunications and Internet

21 19 19 18 16 17 13 13 14 12 11 12 12 9 11 11 9 10 10 11 8 7 9 7 6 7 4 5

14 14 12 12 11 10 12 12 9 11 12 10 9 10 8 8 9 8 8 5 5 6 4 6 6 44 2

35 33 31 30 27 27 25 24 23 23 23 22 21 19 19 19 18 18 17 16 14 14 13 13 12 11 8 7

0

20

40

60

80

100

BE

CY

ES

FR

LU

NL SI IE DK PL

EL FI

EU

27 UK SE SK PT

DE

CZ IT BG

RO LV

AT

EE

LT

MT

HU





In all countries, less than a third of respondents thought that a lack of competition in the transport sector (railways, airlines, etc.) was causing many problems for consumers. Respondents in the UK and Ireland were the most likely to mention this sector (32% and 30%, respectively), while those in Portugal were the least likely to select transport (10%). Other countries where a higher proportion of respondents selected the transport sector were Hungary and Latvia (29% and 27%, respectively), while Sweden and Belgium joined Portugal with just 12%-13% selecting this sector.


page 25

Transport services (railways, airlines, etc.)

17 14 10 6 9 9 7 6 11 9 9 8 6 8 5 10 7 5 5 9 4 8 8 6 6 7 5 3

14 16 18 21 14 14 16 16 11 10 10 11 13 10 12 7 9 11 11 7 11 7 7 9 8 6 7 6

32 30 29 27 24 23 23 23 22 19 19 19 19 18 17 17 16 16 16 16 15 15 15 15 14 13 12 10

0

20

40

60

80

100U

K IE HU LV

SK MT

CZ

EE

FR

EU

27 AT SI RO FI

PL IT DE

CY

BG ES

LT

DK

NL

EL

LU BE

SE PT





More than a quarter of Greek, Irish and British residents said that, based on their own experiences, a lack of competition was causing problems for consumers in the financial services sector (31%, 28% and 27%, respectively), this proportion fell to 1 in 10 respondents in Malta and Bulgaria (both 10%) and slightly more than 1 in 20 interviewees in Latvia and Poland (6%-7%).

Financial services (banks, insurance, etc.)

19 17 14 10 13 9 9 8 9 10 7 8 10 6 8 6 6 7 7 8 6 4 8 5 2 5 2 2

12 10 1312 9 13 12 12 9 7 10 8 6 10 8 10 9 7 7 6 7 9 5 8 8 5 5 4

31 28 2723 22 22 21 20 18 17 17 16 16 16 16 16 15 14 14 14 13 13 13 12 10 10 7 6

0

20

40

60

80

100

EL IE UK

HU

NL

DE

AT

CY

EU

27 FR

CZ

DK

LU PT

ES

RO LT

BE

SE SI

FI

EE IT SK BG

MT

PL

LV





The proportion of respondents who mentioned the food distribution sector as the one where a lack of competition in terms of pricing and product choice was causing many problems for consumers ranged from less than a tenth in Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and the Netherlands (between 7% and 9%) to a quarter in Romania and Greece (both 25%) and about a third in France (32%).


page 26

Food distribution

18 14 11 14 12 12 11 9 9 7 10 9 5 8 6 8 8 6 7 6 6 4 4 4 5 2 4 3

1311 14 10 9 9 9 11 10 11 7 8 12 8 10 8 7 8 7 4 5 6 4 5 3 5 4 4

3225 25 23 21 21 20 19 19 17 17 17 16 16 16 16 15 14 14

10 10 10 9 8 8 8 8 7

0

20

40

60

80

100F

R

EL

RO

LU FI

AT

DK LT

SE MT

CY IE HU LV

EE

EU

27 ES

UK

DE IT BE

PT

NL

BG CZ

SK SI

PL





The chart on the next page summarises the top three sectors where a lack of competition was causing the most problems for consumers according to each countrys respondents (either as a first or second selection).

In all Member States (except Ireland and Denmark), the largest proportion of interviewees selected the energy sector as the one where consumers had the most problems because of a lack of competition. In some countries, this proportion of respondents selecting energy was considerably higher than the numbers naming any other sector; for example, 64% of Portuguese respondents selected the energy sector, compared to 18% who mentioned telecommunications and Internet sector and 16% who listed the pharmaceutical product sector. In other countries, however, similar proportions selected the energy sector and one or more other sectors; for example, 40% of Belgians selected the energy sector, compared to 35% who listed telecommunications and Internet.

In Ireland and Denmark, the largest proportion of respondents selected the pharmaceutical product sector as the one where a lack of competition was causing problems in terms of pricing and product choice for consumers (41% and 30%, respectively), while the energy sector came in second or third place. The pharmaceutical product sector also appeared in the top three in 19 other Member States; for example, in Spain (22%, 3rd position) and Austria (29%, 2nd position).

The telecommunications and Internet sector appeared in the top three of the most mentioned sectors in 14 Member States without ever being selected by the largest proportion of respondents; as noted above, 35% of Belgians (2nd position) and 33% of Cypriots selected this sector (3rd position). Similar results were obtained for transport, which appeared among the most mentioned sectors in 10 countries, and for financial products, which appeared in the top three in seven countries. Finally, food distribution appeared among the most mentioned sectors in just three countries: Romania (25%), Lithuania (30%) and France (32%, all in 2nd position).


page 27

Sectors where a lack of competition is causing the most problems for consumers (most mentioned sectors)

40

35

14

55

16

16

59

23

17

30

25

23

60

34

22

60

28

23

40

38

31

energy

telecommunications

financial services

energy

pharmaceuticals

transport services

energy

transport services

telecommunications

pharmaceuticals

energy

telecommunications

energy

pharmaceuticals

financial services

energy

pharmaceuticals

transport services

energy

pharmaceuticals

financial services

BE

BG

CZ

DK

DE

EE

EL

43

31

22

33

32

30

41

30

29

21

20

17

51

37

33

67

29

27

58

30

19

energy

telecommunications

pharmaceuticals

energy

food distribution

telecommunications

pharmaceuticals

transport services

energy

energy

pharmaceuticals

transport services

energy

pharmaceuticals

telecommunications

energy

pharmaceuticals

transport services

energy

pharmaceuticals

food distribution

ES

FR

IE

IT

CY

LV

LT

40

32

27

62

29

23

69

43

23

28

27

25

44

29

21

59

23

20

64

18

16

energy

pharmaceuticals

telecommunications

energy

transport services

financial services

energy

pharmaceuticals

transport services

energy

telecommunications

pharmaceuticals

energy

pharmaceuticals

financial services

energy

telecommunications

pharmaceuticals

energy

telecommunications

financial services

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT

52

25

21

47

36

25

57

24

19

39

35

22

35

20

19

39

32

27

energy

food distribution

pharmaceuticals

energy

pharmaceuticals

telecommunications

energy

transport services

telecommunications

energy

pharmaceuticals

telecommunications

energy

pharmaceuticals

telecommunications

energy

transport services

financial services

RO

SI

SK

FI

SE

UK

Q3. Based on your own experience, in which of the following sectors

is a lack of competition causing the most problems for consumers?

Firstly? Any other?% (sum of 1st and 2d sectors), by country

In a few countries, none of the sectors stood out as the one that most respondents selected e.g. 21% of Italians listed the energy sector (1st position), 20% opted for the pharmaceutical product sector (2ndposition) and 17% chose the transport sector (3rd position). In these countries, respondents more frequently said that none of the sectors caused problems in terms of a lack of competition.

Roughly a fifth of Italians answered that there was no lack of competition in the listed sectors. Another 12% of Italians listed just one sector as problematic but said there were no problems due to a lack of competition in any of the other sectors listed in the survey. In the Netherlands and Denmark, more than a fifth of respondents gave similar responses i.e. that there were no problems, or the problems occurred in just one sector (25% and 21%, respectively).

None of the sectors listed

198 3 9 2 3 4 5 6 3 4 3 1 7 3 6 6 4 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 4 2 2

12

1719 8

12 11 11 9 8 11 10 10 11 4 8 4 4 6 8 9 7 7 6 5 6 3 4 3

3025

2117 14 14 14 14 13 13 13 13 12 12 12 11 11 10 10 10 9 8 8 8 7 7 6 5

0

20

40

60

80

100

IT NL

DK PL

PT SI ES

EU

27 SK LU

UK

AT IE BG FI

CZ

HU FR SE CY

MT

DE

LV

EE

EL

BE

RO LT




Sectors where a lack of competition is causing the most problems for consumers:


page 28


The table on the next page summarises the results of the current question by socio-demographic groups the table again lists the total percentages of respondents who indicated that certain sectors were characterised by a lack of competition that was causing problems for consumers.

Gender

Men were more likely to say that a lack of competition was causing problems for consumers in the energy (47% v. 41% of women) and telecommunications and Internet sectors (24% vs. 19%). Women, in turn, were more likely to give a dont know response when asked to list a first or second sector that had such problems (25% vs. 19%).

Age

The telecommunications and Internet sector was also more frequently selected by young people as one where a lack of competition was causing problems for consumers: 26% of 15-24 year-olds chose this sector (either as a first or second selection), but this proportion deceased to 17% for over 54 year-olds. The energy sector, on the other hand, was most frequently selected by 25-54 year-olds (48% vs. 36% of 15-24 year-olds and 41% of over 54s).

Other differences across age groups were noted: the financial services sector was most frequently selected by 40-54 year-olds (21% vs. 15%-17% of other age groups), the transport sector by 15-39 year olds (25%-26% vs. 13%-19% of older respondents) and the pharmaceutical product sector by those respondents aged 40 and over (27%-28% vs. 21%-23% of younger respondents).

Finally, 15-24 year-olds were somewhat more likely to answer that that there were no problems at all for consumers in the listed sector, or that the problems occurred in just one sector (17% vs. 13%-14% in other age groups). The over 54 year-olds, on the other hand, most frequently said they did not know in which sectors a lack of competition was causing the most problems for consumers: for example, 18% did not answer when asked about a sector in the first place compared to 7% of 25-39 year-olds.

Level of education

In accordance with the results across age groups, full-time students were more likely than respondents who had completed their education to select the telecommunications and Internet (27% vs. 15%-24%) and transport (28% vs. 11%-22%) sectors. Furthermore, 19% of full-time students listed just one sector with competition problems, or no sector at all compared to, for example, 12% of respondents with the highest level of education.

Focusing solely on respondents who had completed their education, it could be noted that the higher the respondents level of education, the more likely they were to list each of the sectors as being characterised by competition problems in terms of pricing and product choice this was not the case, however, for the food distribution sector where no differences were observed by level of education. For example, 24% of respondents with the highest level of education said that a lack of competition was causing problems for consumers in the telecommunications and Internet sector, compared to just 15% of respondents with the lowest levels of education.

Respondents with the lowest levels of education were twice as likely as those with the highest level to give a dont know response when asked to list a first or second sector with competition problems (33% vs. 15%).

Occupational status

Competition problems in the telecommunications and Internet and financial sectors were more frequently mentioned by employees and the self-employed than by manual workers and those not working (e.g. 25% of employees selected telecommunications and Internet compared to 18% of


page 29

manual workers). Employees also more frequently listed the transport sector as being characterised by problems in terms of pricing and product choice (24% vs. 17%-20% across other groups).

Manual workers were somewhat more likely than their counterparts to have experienced problems because of a lack of competition in the food sector (19% vs. 15%-16% across other groups), but they were the least likely to give such an answer for the pharmaceutical product sector (22% vs. 25%-26%). Finally, non-working respondents were the least likely to select the energy sector: 40% vs. 46%-49% of respondents currently in employment.

The proportions of dont know responses for both parts of the question (first or second selection) were highest for manual workers and non-working respondents and lowest for employees (24% and 26%, respectively, vs. 15%).

Place of residence

Very few differences were observed in regard to respondents place of residence. In the transport sector, however, 23% of metropolitan city residents identified it as being problematic in terms of competition compared to 18% of rural residents and 19% of respondents from urban areas.

Sectors where a lack of competition is causing the most problems for consumers

En

ergy

Ph

arm

aceu

tica

l p

rod

uct

s

Tel

ecom

mu

nic

atio

ns

and

In

tern

et

Tra

nsp

ort

Fin

anci

al s

ervi

ces

Foo

d d

istr

ibu

tion

Oth

er s

ecto

rs

Non

e or

just

on

e of

th

ese

sect

ors

Don

t k

now

on

1st

or 2

ndp

art

of

the

ques

tion

EU27 44 25 21 19 18 16 3 14 22

SEX

Male 47 25 24 20 19 15 4 14 19

Female 41 26 19 19 17 16 2 14 25

AGE

15 - 24 36 21 26 26 15 15 3 17 23

25 - 39 48 23 25 25 17 17 3 13 17

40 - 54 48 27 21 19 21 16 3 13 18

55 + 41 28 17 13 17 16 2 14 26

EDUCATION

(end of)

Until 15 years of age 35 24 15 11 15 16 3 16 33

16 - 20 45 26 21 19 19 17 2 14 21

20 + 51 28 24 22 19 16 4 12 15

Still in education 38 18 27 28 13 13 3 19 22

URBANISATION

Metropolitan 46 25 24 23 17 14 3 14 19

Urban 43 25 21 19 18 15 3 15 22

Rural 44 26 21 18 18 17 3 13 22

OCCUPATION

Self-employed 46 26 22 18 21 15 4 15 17

Employee 49 26 25 24 20 16 3 12 15

Manual worker 47 22 18 20 17 19 4 13 24

Not working 40 25 20 17 16 16 3 15 26


Base: all respondents, % (sum of 1st and 2nd sectors) by socio-demographics


page 30

3.2 Main problems in sectors with a lack of competition3

Respondents who thought that that there was a lack of competition in a specific sector were also asked to choose, from a list of four problems, which one they had encountered most frequently. Across all sectors, respondents who had experienced a lack of competition in that sector were most likely to identify prices that were too high: between 74% and 80% mentioned that problem. Roughly half of respondents, or less, mentioned any other problem.

For each sector listed (except for food distribution), more than 40% of respondents who identified the sector as one with a lack of competition answered that the main issue was that it was difficult or impossible to change supplier: 48% for transport services, 46% for the energy sector, 43% for the pharmaceutical product sector and 42% for both the telecommunications and Internet and financial services sectors. For the food distribution sector, however, just 34% of respondents listed a difficulty in changing suppliers as the main problem.

For the food distribution sector, 38% of respondents identified unsatisfactory quality of products or services as the main competition problem a figure similar to results for the telecommunications and Internet (38%), transport services (39%) and financial services (43%) sectors. For the pharmaceutical and energy sectors, fewer respondents said that the quality of products or services was unsatisfactory (28% and 31%, respectively).

Almost half (47%) of respondents who thought there was a lack of competition in the transport services sector selected too little choice or no choice at all as the main problem. The corresponding proportions for other sectors with a lack of competition were lower and ranged from 30% for the food distribution sector to 41% for the energy sector.

Finally, across all sectors with an assumed lack of competition, not more than a tenth of respondents identified some other problem than the ones listed in the survey as the most important one (between 6% and 10%).

Main problems in sectors with a lack of competition

74 78 76 7580 79

4246

4248

3443

3641

36

47

303738

31

4339 38

28

8 7 10 6 9 9

telecommunications and Internet

energy (gas and electricity)

fina

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