École Doctorale 188
Histoire Moderne et Contemporaine
Paris, December 2011, 30

Dominique BARJOT,
Professor Dr. of Modern and Contemporary
Economic History
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing you to let you know that I would like to send a proposal for a session on cartelsand cartel regulations at the next EBHA here in Paris. Professor Dr. Harm Schroeter alreadyinformed me that many of you would be potentially interested in participating; for that I
suggest to join our forces and put together our ideas in a common proposal. If we will be able
to circulate our opinions, we still have time to send a coherent proposal around some themes
related to links between public powers and cartels regulation: scopes and aims of thesepolicies in a comparative perspective.
I was exploring whether we could organise a double session on cartels and regulations whose
aims are to embrace both national and international issues:
1/ Session 1 - The role of cartels as an instrument of both economic and politicalregulation
The first session focused on the role of cartels as an instrument of both economic and politicalregulation. Three points can be examined during this first session:(a) The specific role played by cartels as a mean of national, regional (i.e. in Europe, inNorth and Latin America, in East Asia) or international (i.e. at the world scale)regulation.
(b) The passage, from the beginning of the XIXth century to today, from a competitive
regulation to a competitive one, then a state regulation. From this point of view, therole of business organization appeared crucial, because they furnished often a meanfor to organize cooperation between firms and organizations.
(c) The specific role of the international institutions before (League of Nations,International Settlements Bank) and after WW2 (United Nations Organization,
International Monetary Funds, World Bank, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade,then World Trade Organization, etc.). For instance, it is interesting to revisit thequestion of the Reparations after WW1, particularly during the Dawes Plan. A very
important aspect concerns the consequences of the colonial and post-colonial policies
and the organization of an international control of the commodities trade.
12/ Session 1 – Industrial policies: competition, registration of cartels and anti-cartels
policiesThe second session examines the question of industrial policies. It is important to study
policies of competition, in particular anti-cartels or cartels registrations policies. Three points
can be examined during the second session:(a) The theorical debates concerning the specific advantages of competition (neo-classicalpure and perfect competition, workable competition, monopolistic competition) andcooperation (Schumpeter’s and neo-Schumpeterian theories, corporatism, etc.). The
ordo-liberal approaches will be examined.
(b) The national policies, for instance in USA, Japan, Germany and France, both duringthe interwar period and after WW2.
(c) The regional policies, for example in European Union, from the 1960s.
I’m working for submitting you a definitive text about this proposal as soon as possible: whatI suggest is if you can send me a feedback about this and, if possible, expose your suggestions
about to present a research paper that could fit with this first sketch within the beginnings ofJanuary. Thank you in advance,
I took the occasion to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
With my best wishes,
Yours sincerely

Dominique BARJOT
33, rue Carvès,
92120 MONTROUGE,

Phone + Fax : 00 33 1 46 55 29 67 (pers.)
Phone : 00 33 1 53 10 57 54 (prof.)
Fax : 00 33 1 53 10 57 58 ( prof.)Port. : 00 33 6 22 97 13 78 (Pers.)

E-mail : dominique.barjot@paris-sorbonne.fr (prof.)Oudominique.barjot@wanadoo.fr (pers.)2