The preventive effect and its behavioral impact on market manipulations at the European Energy Exchange (EEX). Economic incentives and regulatory strategies in a law and economics analysis

The work examines the problem of market manipulation in complex markets from an antitrust and capital market law perspective, using the example of the German wholesale market for electricity (European Energy Exchange, EEX) and applying the methodology of the economic analysis of law. It is shown that authorities applying the ban of market manipulations on potential infringements regularly face problems of proving a breach of the law which may result in a lack of enforcement of sanctions. Considerable gaps in enforcement result that may reduce the deterrent effect of the prohibition significantly. The central thesis of this work is therefore, that an evolution of the existing system of sanctions is required such that it exerts repercussions on market participants´ reasoning that make an offence unattractive already from the ex-ante perspective. In the first section, the market conditions as well as the existing legal framework are examined. As a result of this analysis, incentives for manipulation of the market by market participants and the lack of effective instruments for law enforcement are found. The sector inquiries of both, the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office confirm this finding. The second section of the work builds upon the positive analysis and proposes regulatory instruments to change the incentive scheme in the market. The focus is placed on measures that increase the probability of detection and punishment instead of the dogma of consistently increasing fines. The central proposal extends the existing leniency program for cartels on manipulation cases and combines it with a reward system for whistleblowers. This approach proposes an increased probability of detection of market manipulations and thereby boosts the deterrent effect of antitrust law. Also, the effective coordination of public and private antitrust enforcement efforts is a necessary accompanying measure to remedy deficiencies of law enforcement.