Implementing Effective Leniency Programs -- CWG webinar 26 January
Please join us to the first webinar of the Cartel Working Group on “Implementing Effective Leniency Programs: Lessons Learnt and Challenges Ahead” which will take place on 26 January 2022 (Wednesday) at – 2:00 pm CET – Europe Time.
Moderator:
– Mr Pedro Callol – Partner, Callol, Coca & Asociados , Spain
Speakers:
– Mr Juan David Gutiérrez- Professor, Universidad del Rosario, Colombia
– Mr David Fernández – Advisor of the Direction of Investigation and Promotion of Defense of Competition, INDECOPI, Peru
– Ms Armine Hakobyan – Deputy Director of the Department of Competition and Public Procurement Policy, Eurasian Economic Commission
– Mr Nick Wilkins- Principal Adviser Criminalization, Cartel Investigations Team, New Zealand Commerce Commission, New Zealand
– Mr David Anderson – Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, Belgium
With the increased enforcement efforts against cartels, many ICN member agencies have adopted leniency programs over the years. “Leniency programs” are an important instrument in the fight against cartels since competition agencies can more easily uncover and sanction cartel participants by protecting the first applicant immune from punishment or by giving other applicants reduced sanctions. Information or evidence can be obtained “first-hand” and faster by competition agencies. They also form a deterrence mechanism for those who plan to be a part of cartel arrangements.
On the other hand, there are also some challenges that might prevent effective and efficient leniency programs such as private enforcement and regulatory interventions. Furthermore, the globalization of business and the consequent rise in the number of cartels with international scope together poses new difficulties and challenges in the investigation, in light of the proliferation of leniency systems among competition authorities, highlighting the importance of increased co-operation on both procedural and substantive issues.
The ICN CWG has addressed these issues in many of its work products, including Guidance on Enhancing Cross-Border Leniency Cooperation (2020) http://internationalcompetitionnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CWG-Leniency-Coordination-Guidance.pdf and Report on Good Practices for Incentivising Leniency Applications (2019) http://internationalcompetitionnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/CWG-Good-practices-for-incentivising-leniency.pdf
For more information about this seminar, please contact the organiser at: [email protected]
ICN Virtual Spotlight with ACCC Chair Rod Sims
ICN Virtual SpotlightCompetition Enforcement in the Digital Economy
Rod Sims, Chair Australia Competition and Consumer Commission and ICN Vice Chair
Andreas Mundt, President Bundeskartellamt and ICN Chair
Andreas Mundt and Rod Sims on the future direction of competition enforcement in the digital economy
On 13 December ICN Chair Andreas Mundt sat down for a candid discussion with Rod Sims, Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Rod is the ICN Vice Chair for Digital Coordination and Asia Pacific Liaison. In this 1:1 spotlight Andreas and Rod pondered the future direction of competition enforcement in the digital economy.
Please click the link below for video of the the webinar.
2022 Annual Conference, Berlin
The 2022 ICN Annual Conference will take place in Berlin, 4-6 May
2021 ICN Virtual Itinerary
The ICN’s Virtual Itinerary keeps you up-to-date with the schedule of upcoming ICN events, including seminars, workshops, and the annual conference. This list is updated monthly, and other additions and changes are made when available, so check back often for confirmation.
Replay: 2020-2021 Competition Advocacy Contest Award Ceremony
Watch the 2020-2021 Competition Advocacy Contest Award Ceremony
Winners and honorable mentions were announced during a virtual ceremony on October 7th, 2021, when the chair of the ICN Steering Group and representatives of the ICN Advocacy Working Group, World Bank Group and the selecting panel discussed lessons learned and details of the successful advocacy initiatives with officials from the awarded competition authorities, selected among 31 entries submitted by both government authorities and non-governmental organizations from 19 jurisdictions around the world. To discover the awarded authorities and watch the Ceremony, click here https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2021/04/07/competition-advocacy-contest-2021
The ICN Turns 20!
The ICN celebrates its 20th Anniversary on October 25, 2021!
Replay: ICN's 20th Annual Conference Panels
Recordings now available: Relive the plenary panels from the 2021 ICN Annual Conference!
Link to the conference website. Scroll down to "Programs and Recordings." Pick a conference day, and choose a panel.
ICN's 20th Annual Conference
The ICN virtually celebrates its 20th Anniversary in Budapest and announces Berlin as venue for the 21st ICN Annual Conference
The International Competition Network (ICN) held its 20th annual conference from 13 to 15 October. The event hosted by the Hungarian Competition Authority took place in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ICN is the most important network of competition authorities worldwide. It comprises 140 competition agencies from 130 jurisdictions. At the conference, the ICN Steering Group re-elected Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, as Chair for the 2021-2022 term.
“The ICN has provided the basis for 20 years of successful multilateral cooperation. Congratulations to our colleagues in Hungary for organizing the ICN Anniversary Conference!” Andreas Mundt, ICN Chair and President of the Bundeskartellamt. “We are entering the ICN’s third decade and it is time to look ahead: Digitalization will remain a key issue. Sustainability is the second topic which will lead to a major transformation and will require our attention. The third challenge for competition agencies is the interaction with other areas of law. We will have to keep an open mind.”
The conference host presented a panel about sustainability and competition law. The ICN Advocacy Working Group panellists shared views and experiences on how companies, with limited resources and capabilities, could best manage to ensure compliance with competition law. The Agency Effectiveness Working Group discussed the opportunities and challenges for competition agencies in the post-COVID world. The Cartel Working Group addressed issues and challenges in international cooperation in the fight against cross-border cartels. The Merger Working Group discussed merger control in the ICN’s third decade. The Unilateral Conduct Working Group explored how agencies deal with challenges they face when analysing theories of harm and designing remedies in unilateral conduct cases in digital markets.
Three other panels looked at the intersection between competition, consumer protection and privacy, international cooperation, and the implementation of ICN work. A breakout session presented first results of the ICN Third Decade Review, a self-evaluation of the network looking at tools, structure and topics to provide a roadmap for the ICN during its third decade.
A recording of the conference will be available on the ICN conference webpage.
The 21st ICN Annual Conference will take place in Berlin from 4 to 6 May 2022. The ICN 2022 conference video is available here.
Now Playing! 2021 Working Group Update Videos
The 2021 Working Group & projects update videos are out! Enjoy viewing updates on work product and activities from Working Group chairs for the 2020-21 ICN year and previews for next year.
Links to 2021 Working Group update videos:
Agency Effectiveness Working Group
Unilateral Conduct Working Group
Intersection of competition, consumer, and data privacy Project
ICN Steering Group confirms Rod Sims, ACCC, as new Vice Chair
ICN Steering Group confirms Rod Sims, ACCC, as new Vice Chair for Digital Co-ordination and Asia-Pacific Liaison
On 15 September 2021 the ICN Steering Group confirmed Rod Sims as new Vice Chair for Digital Co-ordination and Asia-Pacific Liaison.
Rod Sims has been a long-term supporter of the ICN and active participant since becoming Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in 2011. As ICN Vice Chair he will focus on overarching co-ordination of projects and discussions on competition in the digital economy within the ICN and additionally will support agencies in the Asia-Pacific region facing the challenges of the time zone in their engagement with the ICN.
Rod Sims will work together with the ICN’s other Vice Chair, Tembinkosi Bonakele, Commissioner of the South African Competition Commission.
The ICN thanks Alejandra Palacios, former President of COFECE Mexico, for her leadership as Vice Chair until her term as head of COFECE came to an end in September 2021.