FIGHTING MULTI-MARKET CARTELS: AN EXPERIMENTAL COMPARISON OF THE AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN LENIENCY PROGRAMS

This laboratory experiment compares the American and the European leniency programs to fight multimarket cartels. Leniency means that a firm, member of an illicit cartel, may obtain partial or full immunity if it cooperates and brings the evidence to a competition authority about this cartel and the implication of other firms. The US strengthened leniency programs for cartel in multimarket settings (Amnesty Plus program) in order to give incentives to members of a first cartel previously convicted to reveal their membership in cartels on other markets. With regard to the European program, Amnesty Plus may encourage the cartels' formation, as it reduces the expected cost from conviction. Our results do not confirm this procollusive effect and show that the incentive to report is significantly higher under Amnesty Plus, both before and after a first cartel has been detected.