The purpose of the article was to the characteristic of meaning of antitrust and competition policies in the economy by review of the evolution of and direction of implementation.

The essence of a market economy is characterized by the laws of the market. Even Adam Smith formed a principle of economic benefits, which explains the motives of activity of business market entities. Each business entity looks for opportunities to increase their incomes and strengthen their market position on the basis of these natural motives of the market economy. And at the state level, it is important to create a favorable environment for implementation of their entrepreneurial efforts. Essence of the state policy in the sphere lies іn restriction of monopolism in business activity and development of economic competition. Financial, resource and technical, information, consultative and others types of support can be distinguished among the important types of support on macroeconomic level.

State authorities of different levels and local government are subjects of fulfillments of antitrust and competition policies.

Three main stages were picked out by generalization of process of realization of antitrust and competition policies in Ukraine. Distinctive accents the first stage (1992-1995 years) were performance of market demonopolization and elaboration of antitrust laws provisions. Peculiar for the second phase (1996-2000 years) was the displacement of emphasis on the execution of structural economic transformation and reform of economic property relations. During of third stage (from 2001 years to the present) taking place qualitative transition from fulfillment of economic demonopolisation measures to support the development and improvement of the competitive environment, namely switch-over from antitrust to competition policy.

The competition is significant force of economic development and part of the economic mechanism. The competition is an economic rivalry and striving between economic entities for more favorable terms of purchase of raw materials, goods and the conditions for their realization by assigning a greater level of revenue received in the society.

In the process of implementation of antitrust and competition policy is important for the coordination of macro- and microeconomic levels. In the legislative field of our country is differentiated the state interference in the following cases: violation of the law, prevention of violations and the absence of competition. The response to these violations is the foundation and implementation of the competition policy. Directions of its realisation are: developing an effective competitive environment; improvement of institutional providing of competition policy; establishment of differentiated economic mechanisms of state regulation of nature monopolies activity; reduction of the proportion of monopoly sectors in gross domestic product of Ukraine.

In the context of selected areas of competition policy in the state, directions of activity of economic entities to improve the competitiveness of its activity are: increasing of revenue level; decreasing of expenditure level; increasing of labour productivity; growth of production scale; innovation update of economic activity; rationalization of production organization and forms of wages; improving the quality of goods and services; guarantees and after-sales services.

Successful solving of tasks of competition policy will increase the efficiency of the functioning of the market mechanism and will create conditions for more effective solving of social and economic tasks of society.

Key words: competition, antitrust policy, competition policy, evolution of competition policy, directions of fulfillment of competition policy.