The object of this research is competition policy and criminal law policy with regards to protection of competition in Europe that are similar to the Russian approach of countering infringement on fair competition. Legislation on competition is dynamically developing in all countries, which causes corresponding changes in their criminal law policy. For improving the effectiveness of cartel detection, many countries endorsed leniency policy for cartels, as well as make amendments to their laws due to proliferation of unfair competition, particularly on the Internet, as well irregularities in tendering. The analysis of modern sources of competition and criminal law of Germany, Great Britain and France, as the first European countries that developed the rules aimed at protection of competition, can be valuable for understanding the concept of protection of competition adopted by the world community, as well as its European model. The consists in broadening the existing knowledge on criminal law protection of competition in Europe, acquired as a result of comprehensive research of the legislations of the European Union, Germany, Great Britain and France in the area of protection of fair competition with consideration of recent amendments, including leniency policy for cartels. The author concludes that Europe has a developed criminal law mechanism for counteracting anticompetitive behavior, which is characterized by a range of prohibited acts, application of versatile criminal law measures to the persons guilty of such infringements, differentiated approach to the questions of their criminal liability, and substantial main and additional sanctions applicable to not only physical entities, but also legal entities in some countries. The obtained results can be useful in lawmaking, scientific and educational activity.