11.   The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has been shifting the way it evaluates mergers, putting more emphasis on whether they will stimulate competition and bring down rates for customers.

12.   The measure Congress overwhelmingly passed yesterday is designed to expand the reach of communications companies and stimulate competition among telephone, cable-TV, and broadcasting companies.

13.   The proposal will refine a plan announced earlier this year to turn over management of the system to the private sector and stimulate competition for registering new Internet addresses.

14.   The three new local phone companies have been able to rock the boat thanks to regulations designed to stimulate competition.

15.   This may do little to stimulate competition, though, because premiums and policies remain standardized by industry rating bureaus linked to the Finance Ministry.

16.   While government and industry spokesmen praised the bill, some consumer groups said it deregulates the industry without doing enough to stimulate competition.

17.   Although the plan calls for a restructuring of NTT to stimulate competition, it stopped short of recommending dividing the company.

18.   For railways, Nemtsov said, the order aims to reduce rates, stimulate traffic and ensure railway companies pay their taxes by streamlining the system and stimulating competition.

19.   Indeed, progress in the unity process has stimulated competition within the European Union.

20.   It also called for ways to stimulate competition in a dozen areas traditionally dominated by a handful of large companies, ranging from telecommunications to financial services.