Regulation of European markets has changed considerably since 1980. As a result of factors such as European integration, international forces, and the decline of the welfare state, European governments have opted for other development strategies. Most notably, there has been a movement to privatize state-owned industries, as well as to develop new constitutive rules of competition that aim to ensure market competition in order to both obtain optimal economic efficiency and most efficiently allocate resources. The economic role of the European Union has thus been reinforced accordingly. Moreover, an indirect form of government in such matters has also emerged. These strategies have ultimately developed into a new form of government, which is characterized by changes in the official functions, institutions, actors and the types of policies followed on the matters.[...]