Research on ‘assessing economic expertise’ and ‘corporate influence

Professor Ioannis Lianos’ and CLES@UCL’  work on the role of economic evidence and economists in competition law and policy has recently attracted considerable attention.

Professor Lianos' 2009 publication, ‘Judging’ Economists: Economic Expertise in Competition Law Litigation - A European View’ was among the early contributions in Europe and the UK examining the role of economic experts in competition disputes. Since then, the topic has gained prominence as competition authorities and courts worldwide have increasingly turned toward more systematic use of economic evidence and expertise in their work. Engaging with economic and other social science expertise has become particularly relevant in the evolving polycentric competition law model, which considers broader impacts of competition restrictions on environmental and social sustainability, innovation, growth, and resilience.

In this context, and working within the UNCTAD Research Platform, the CLES team has contributed to this growing debate and continues to engage with emerging questions as the conversation has evolved in recent years. The focus has shifted from whether economic evidence should be used to how it can be most effectively implemented. Current discussions center on important questions such as: What types of evidence should be considered relevant and authoritative, and how can courts and competition authorities best manage economic experts?

Members of the CLES have conducted important work on econometrics and competition law (Ioannis Lianos),  courts, competition authorities/regulators and the scrutiny of economic evidence (see also works by Dr. Deni Mantzari here and here). Forthcoming work on Competition Law and Economic/Social Science Evidence (I. Lianos, OUP, 2026) will hopefully advance this discussion further in the UK, Europe and other legal systems.

Professor Lianos was invited to participate in the panel "efficient use of economics in competition law enforcement" at the European Competition Day, organised on May 26th, 2025 by UOKIK (Polish Competition Authority) and the Polish Presidency of the European Council. The panel brought together speakers from competition authorities, courts and academia, including Ana Sofia Rodrigues (Portuguese Competition Authority), Prof. Giorgio Monti (Tilburg), Saverio Valentino (Italian Competition Authority), judge Krystya Kowalik-Bańczyk (General Court of the EU), Matias Pietola (Chief economist team, European Commission) and was moderated by Nikodem Szadkowski (Polish Competition Authority). Much of the discussion centered on the admissibility and assessment of economic expertise and the role of experts within competition authorities and courts. For a video of the European Competition Day see here.

One of the issues explored recently involves the role of forensic economists in the ‘making’ of competition law (see here) and the influence of corporate funding for academic research in competition law (see here).

In March 2025, the CLES@UCL, the George J. Stigler Centre at the University of Chicago, Imperial College London, the Inclusive Competition Forum and Lobby Control organised in Brussels a discussion on 'How Corporate Funding Impacts Competition Policy Research' exploring how  material conflicts of interest can potentially create bias in academia and competition policy research more broadly.

For the videos of this seminar see here .

This was among the few events organized globally on this important issue. The CLES@UCL has previously explored related topics, having organized a conference on May 22nd, 2018, titled ‘Corporate (and other) sponsorship of academic research in competition law’. Professor Lianos also contributed to the Association of Competition Law Scholars (ASCOLA) Declaration of Ethics as coordinator and main drafter, which was adopted by the General Assembly of ASCOLA in New York in June 2018 (see here).

Although not limited to economics, the issue of corporate funding of academic research has also received attention from competition authority officials, particularly following the publication of academic work examining the problem and proposing potential solutions.

The publication by Professor Lianos of new work on Academic "Capture"? The Hidden Costs of Corporate Funding in Competition Policy Research and Proposed Remedies’  in December 2024, and the organisation of this joint conference in Brussels has contributed to ongoing discussions. Professor Lianos' research suggests that while transparency and disclosure represent important principles, they may not fully address the fundamental asymmetry of influence in academic and policy debates between large corporate interests and other stakeholders. The study offers recommendations for (i) a system of mandatory disclosure by specific large corporations that have systematically funded academic research in competition policy, and (ii) encouraging corporations to consider a 'matching obligation' as part of their ESG goals to help protect pluralism in competition law research, particularly as public research funds become increasingly limited.

Following this event, on May 16th, 2025, the OECD Secretariat published a report on ‘Corporate Influence in Competition Policymaking’ and organized, for the first time, best practices roundtable in the context of the OECD Competition Commission June meeting held annually in Paris.

The OECD Secretariat report (along with work submitted competition authorities and stakeholders) engages with and cites Professor Lianos' work on this topic, referring to the CLES@UCL initiatives and events on 'corporate funding of academic research' as a source of inspiration.

Professor Lianos was invited as one of two speakers (and the only external participant) at the OECD Competition Committee roundtable held on June 20th, 2025. Following this intervention, the OECD Competition Committee recognized that mechanisms of corporate influence may 'be overt, subtle and strategic' and decided to pursue further work on this issue (see here ).

On June 27th, 2025, ASCOLA's General Assembly, held in Chicago during its 20th annual meeting, unanimously adopted a new ‘ASCOLA Transparency and Disclosure Declaration’, effectively replacing the 2018 text. The revision process was initiated by a proposal from Professor Lianos at the 19th ASCOLA meeting in Würzburg, Germany, Professor Lianos also serving as one of the drafting team members, with the effort now coordinated by Professor Giorgio Monti (Tilburg University).

CLES@UCL plans to systematically engage with developments at the OECD and other international organizations (including the ICN, UNCTAD, and the European Union) as well as individual jurisdictions, alongside broader self-regulation initiatives within the legal and economics scholarly community. This includes Professor Lianos' upcoming keynote address on academic capture and the role of lobbying in academic research at a joint conference hosted by the Japanese Association of Commercial Law and the University of Tokyo in October 2025. The CLES also seeks to engage with industry stakeholders to advance the proposals for enhanced disclosure and transparency obligations, as well as the matching obligation - initiatives that have gained particular relevance as public funding for academic research continues to face mounting pressures and reductions.