論水平結合管制的準則─總體經濟利益與限制競爭不利益

A Discussion on the Criterion of Horizontal Combination Regulation--the Overall Economic Advantages and the Competition Restrains Disadvantages

結合管制的目的，依據結構學派的學說，基本上是以事先之手段，防止市場結構的惡化，以及因此衍生的潛在獨占力濫用的可能，與潛在聯合行為的發生。但我國公平法對企業結合案的准駁卻以總體經濟利益分析與限制競爭之不利益，二者大小為斷，此二衡量指標的內涵，卻又混淆不清。致使在實務執法上的准駁存在著相當多的主觀成分在內。本文由企業結合動機出發，分析個別廠商之所以以外部成長的方式－結合，取代其他經營策略的理由，然後提出結合管制的特質－以事前管制方式阻止事後可能發生之行為，可能產生的困難與困擾，再以經濟模型分析，探討在特定產業結合案發生時，所形成的總體經濟利益－成本節省，與因而產生的限制競爭之不利益－配置效率損失。經濟分析固然可為結合許可與否，提供較為客觀性之基礎，惟在實務運作也將面臨相當之瓶頸，實務上不易施行。參酌西方尤其是美國對結合管制之方式，可以發覺其執法仍回到結合後造成市場結構改變為重點。很慶幸的，公平會的執法，經過十餘年的試驗，也逐步發覺應回歸至市場結構管制之方向。因此參酌西方的規定而訂出類似之管理規則，將結合管制區分為簡化程序與一般作業程序。惟在規則上若干標準與條件，仍存在有若干的改善空間。

The purpose of combination regulation, according to the hypothesis of Structure School, fundamentally is to keep the aggravation of market structure, and the potentially accompanied abuse of monopoly power and collusion off in advance. The judgments of Taiwanese Fair Trade Act (FTA) upon enterprises combinations are on the basis of the intensities of two considerations – the overall economic advantages and the competition restrain disadvantages. However, the inclusions of the two measures are invariably ambiguous that indeed results in numerous subjective adjudications in practice. Setting out from the motivation of combination, this study analysis the reason that individual firm prefers the strategy of external growth – combination to others in the first place. The presumable confusion and difficulty in the means of combination regulation – preventing ex post behaviors by using ex ante regulation are then proposed. Subsequently, an economic theoretical model is constructed to explore the overall economic advantages -- cost saving, and the competition restrains disadvantages – loss to allocation efficiency, accompanied by the occurrence of combination in the specific industry. Despite that the economic analysis can provide an objective basis for judging the appropriateness of combination, there still remains obstacle to implement operationally. By virtue of referring the experience of western country, particularly the merger regulation in US, it is revealed that the key point is back to the variation of market structure after the behavior of combination. Fortunately, after a series of experiment of Taiwanese Fair Trade Commission (FTC) more than ten years, the way to the market structure regulation is also gradually became aware of. Accordingly, referring to the experience in western country, the similar regulation divided the combination regulation into simplified and general operational procedures can be instituted. But, to a certain extent the further refinements of some criteria are still needed.