Damages claims for bid rigging: how to make them more popular in the EU

It is estimated that the annual direct cost to consumers and other victims of
hardcore cartels in the EU, including bidding rings, ranges from approximately 13
billion Euros (on the most conservative assumptions) to over 37 billion Euros (on
the least conservative). In a time of economic crisis in which attempts are made
to reduce public expenditure in any possible way, private enforcement of EU
competition law by public authorities in the EU Member States may secure budget
savings. Private enforcement is not only a deterrent against this anticompetitive
conduct but also a means of restorative justice that can return taxpayers’
money. Thus, the paper makes a number of recommendations that would enable
contracting authorities to access compensation more easily in case they fall victim
to colluding suppliers.