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
2020-2021 ICN-WBG Competition Advocacy Contest Award Ceremony
Building Forward Better: how competition advocacy can support countries with Covid19 crisis response, relief, and resilient recovery
Thursday, 7th October 2021
8:00-9:00 EDT (Washington D.C.) / 14:00-15:00 CEDT (Rome)
Dear ICN members and NGAs,
Please join us to watch live this year’s Competition Advocacy Contest and discover the winners and honorable mentions. The Ceremony will be opened by Andreas Mundt, ICN Steering Group Chair.
No pre-registration is required. For more information see the attached flyer.Moderator: Andrea Minuto Rizzo, Head of International Affairs Office, Italian Competition Authority (AGCM)
Opening remarks:
Andreas Mundt, ICN Steering Group Chair and President of Bundeskartellamt
Martha Licetti, Practice Manager, Global Markets, Competition and Technology Unit, World Bank Group
Awards announcements & discussion:
Theme 1: Promoting an inclusive, sustainable, and green recovery while preserving contestability
Presenter: Alessandra Tonazzi, Director of the European and International Affairs Directorate, Italian Competition Authority (AGCM)
Theme 2: Leveraging the competitive impact of the digital economy for a faster and inclusive recovery
Presenter: Georgiana Pop, Global Lead, Competition Policy, World Bank Group
Theme 3: Responding to the increased role of the State in markets and the government relief measures
Presenter: Eleanor Fox, Walter J. Derenberg Professor of Trade Regulation at New York University School of Law
Theme 4: Revisiting antitrust rules and Implementing initiatives in response to the Covid19 crisis
Presenter: Mariana Tavares, Partner, Levy & Salomão Advogados
Best regards
The Global Competition Policy Team of The World Bank Group & The Italian Competition Authority on behalf of the ICN Advocacy Working Group
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.
Intersection of Competition, Consumer Protection, & Privacy - September 7
THIRD ICN WEBINAR ON
COMPETITION LAW ENFORCEMENT AT THE INTERSECTION OF COMPETITION, CONSUMER PROTECTION, AND PRIVACY
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 8:00 am EDT/ 2:00 pm CEST
Please join us for this ICN Webinar on the ICN Steering Group’s project on competition law enforcement at the intersection of competition, consumer protection, and privacy, and more specifically, on its issues identification paper.
The webinar – which will take place on Tuesday, September 7 at 8:00am EDT/ 2:00pm CEST – is the third of four series for ICN members and Non-Governmental Advisors to hear from academia, privacy forum, private practitioners. The relationship between competition and consumer laws and policies has been topical for a decade or more and, if anything, has become more complex. The webinar will explore how the competition/consumer/privacy intersection should be navigated through an examination of the varied ways in which the different regimes may in practice interact with one another.
Moderator:
John Fingleton, Fingleton
Speakers:
Andrea Minuto Rizzo, Italian Competition Authority (AGCM)
Morag Bond, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC)
Eliana Garces, Facebook
Emily Hart, Motion Mobs
For more information about the call, please email the co-chairs of the intersection project.
ICN Town Hall for Younger Agencies - June 22
Join us for a
ICN Town Hall
Younger Agencies in the Third Decade of the ICN
(For competition agencies only)
Tuesday June 22, 2021 08:00 EDT (Washington D.C.) / 14:00 CEST (Bonn)
Moderator: Alejandra Palacios, ICN Vice-Chair for Younger Agencies and Regional Diversity and Chairwoman of the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE)
Opening Panel: Gabriel Vásquez, Superintendence for the Control of Market Power, Ecuador • Alessandra Tonazzi, Italian Competition Authority, Italy • Ninette Mwarania, Competition Authority of Kenya, Kenya
Join us for a Town Hall discussion on the role of younger agencies in light of ICN’s third decade of existence. This session will focus on three topics: implementation of ICN work products, leadership and overall benefits of active ICN participation.
For more information about the call, please email the organizers at: [email protected]
2021 & 2022 Annual Conference Dates
Save the Dates!
The ICN’s 2021 Annual Conference will be a virtual event, to take place online from 13-15 October 2021. Our hosts, the Hungarian GvH, together with the ICN Working Group Co-chairs are organizing a compelling conference week of plenary panels and breakout discussions. Stay tuned for the agenda and further details about participation.
The ICN is pleased to announce that the 2022 Annual Conference will take place in Berlin, 4-6 May 2022, hosted by the German Bundeskartellamt.
Assessing Crisis Cartels at times of Covid 19 -- CWG webinar materials
Webinar Materials: Assessing Crisis Cartels at times of Covid 19
In May 2021, the Cartel Working Group organized a webinar on crisis cartels and the COVID-19 pandemic. The materials from the call are available.
Compliance in Cartels -- CWG webinar materials
Webinar Materials: Compliance in Cartel Cases
In April 2021, the Cartel Working Group organized a webinar on compliance and cartels. The materials from the call are available.
2021 ICN-WBG Competition Advocacy Contest
The 2021 ICN-WBG Competition Advocacy Contest is now open!
8 April 2021. The International Competition Network and the World Bank Group are pleased to announce the launch of the 2021 Competition Advocacy Contest. The Contest, now at its seventh joint edition, aims to highlight the key role competition agencies, sector regulators and other governmental bodies or non-governmental organizations play in promoting competition by showcasing their advocacy success stories
The topic of this year’s Contest is “Building Forward Better: how competition advocacy can support countries with Covid19 crisis response, relief, and resilient recovery”. We are looking for success stories that demonstrate the tangible results of competition advocacy regarding:
Theme 1. Promoting an inclusive, sustainable, and green recovery while preserving contestability.
Theme 2. Leveraging the competitive impact of the digital economy for a faster and inclusive recovery.
Theme 3. Responding to the increased role of the State in markets and the government relief measures.
Theme 4. Revisiting antitrust rules and implementing initiatives in response to the Covid19 crisis.
The deadline for submissions is May 7th, 2021.