Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST NEWS: FTC, DOJ Heads Tout Accomplishments of International Competition Network, (Apr 26, 2013)
Organizations Mentioned:U.S. Department of Justice
By Tobias J. Gillett, J.D., LL.M.
The 12th Annual Conference of the International Competition Network (ICN), hosted by Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (OCCP) on April 24-26, 2013, showcased the work of the ICN on international enforcement cooperation and investigative processes in competition cases, the U.S. Department of Justice and FTC announced today.
According to the agencies, the ICN has adopted new work product in the areas of economic analysis in merger review, legal theories in exclusive dealing investigations, international cooperation and information sharing in cartel enforcement, and the benefits of competition. More than 500 delegates representing more than 80 antitrust agencies worldwide participated in the conference, as well as competition experts from international organizations and the legal, business, consumer, and academic communities. Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez led the United States delegation.
"One of the defining characteristics of the ICN is the deep engagement of its members on critical antitrust issues, including mergers, anti-cartel enforcement, unilateral conduct and competition advocacy," said Assistant Attorney Baer. "The discussions and work product emerging from this meeting strengthen the ties between U.S. enforcers and our counterparts around the globe and enhance effective antitrust enforcement for the benefit of all consumers."
"This 12th annual ICN conference demonstrated how competition agencies from around the world can come together both to advance convergence toward best practices in antitrust enforcement and to strengthen the voice of competition policy as our governments confront common economic challenges," said Chairwoman Ramirez.
The conference highlighted the work of the Cartel Working Group, the Agency Effectiveness Working Group, the ICN Curriculum Project, the Merger Working Group, the Unilateral Conduct Working Group, and the Advocacy Working Group, among other groups. Highlights of the conference included remarks from Bronislaw Komorowski, the President of Poland, and Joaquin Almunia, European Commission Vice President and Commissioner for Competition. John Fingleton, former Chief Executive of the UK Office of Fair Trading and former ICN Steering Group Chair, moderated a panel on competition and its relevance to global economic policy. Eduardo Pérez Motta, ICN Steering Group Chair and President of the Mexican Federal Competition Commission, spoke about his initiatives to support ICN member competition advocacy and enhance cooperation with international organizations.
Assistant Attorney General Baer moderated a panel of antitrust officials on international enforcement cooperation to discuss the strengths and limitations of current cooperation frameworks and future ICN work that could best help antitrust agencies address the challenges of engaging effectively in international enforcement cooperation. Lynda K. Marshall, Assistant Chief of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division’s Foreign Commerce Section, led a discussion on future work on international cooperation in cartel enforcement.
The Polish OCCP led a special project devoted to the interaction between competition agencies and courts, culminating in a session led by OCCP President Malgorzata Krasnodebska-Tomkiel. FTC Chairwoman Ramirez addressed the vital role of economic evidence in competition cases and offered guidance for how to effectively present this evidence to generalist courts. She also highlighted the various tools available to competition agencies to encourage courts to recognize competition law principles.
The International Competition Network, which now includes 126 member agencies from 111 jurisdictions, was created in October 2001 to increase understanding of competition policy and promote convergence toward best practices around the world. Documents from the ICN are available here on the organization’s website.
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