2022 ICN Merger Workshop, March 29-April 1

Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense CADE is pleased to invite you to the 2022 ICN Merger Workshop.

The Workshop will offer insight into current merger-related topics and post-pandemic scenarios, bringing together ICN members and non-governmental advisors (NGAs) to discuss a range of competition enforcement and antitrust matters, competitive concerns, merger reporting issues, and remedies, including recent challenges authorities have been facing and new digital solutions developed to address them.

The workshop will be held in Salvador, Brazil, between 29 March and 1 April as a hybrid event. 

The event will be live streamed for ICN members and registered NGAs.

More information, including registration, is available on the workshop website: ICN 2022 SALVADOR, (cade.gov.br)

Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] should you have any additional questions regarding for the Merger Workshop 2022.


2022 ICN-WBG Competition Advocacy Contest

The International Competition Network and the World Bank Group are pleased to announce the launch of the 2022 Competition Advocacy Contest, which follows the successful experience of the previous seven joint editions.

 

The general topic of the Contest is “Preserving markets for sustained economic recovery: the role of competition advocacy after two years of Covid-19”. We are looking for success stories from competition agencies, other government bodies or non-governmental organizations that demonstrate the tangible results of competition advocacy regarding:

   Theme 1. Mitigating the risks of increased concentration and state participation in markets

   Theme 2. Spreading the benefits of the digital economy


   Theme 3. Engaging through results: successful experiences in planning, implementing, and monitoring advocacy strategies in times of crises.

 

The deadline for submissions is March 14th, 2022.

 

For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the contest webpage.

We welcome your participation!

For more information and details on how to apply, please click here

Double Replay! 2021 Merger Working Group seminars on remedies

Now available! The Merger Working Group 2021 seminars on remedies are now posted.

  • Substantive Discussion of Structural and Behavioural Remedies (4 November 2021)
  • Coordination of Multijurisdictional Merger Remedies (11 November 2021)

Enjoy viewing and re-viewing these videos via the link below.


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 Spotlight

Competition 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.

Link to video


2022 Annual Conference, Berlin

The 2022 ICN Annual Conference will take place in Berlin, 4-6 May

Watch the Video HERE


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! 

20th Anniversary webpage


Replay: ICN's 20th Annual Conference Panels

Recordings now available: Relive the plenary panels from the 2021 ICN Annual Conference!

Link to 2021 ICN Annual Conference

Link to the conference website. Scroll down to "Programs and Recordings." Pick a conference day, and choose a panel.