In 2005, the European Commission carried out an investigation into the competitiveness of 27 sectors from the manufacturing industry on the basis of the following five criteria: technological progress, competition, regulation, regional importance and importance for the labour market. This project aims to assess in detail the importance of competition in the manufacturing industry. Markets where competition is weak were identified. To achieve this, the intensity and effectiveness of competition on product markets were measured. It allows to look into the effects and causes of weak competition. Further to this an assessment about the development of individual factors that influence competition is accomplished.