INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
- General background
The Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania most intensively cooperates with the European Commission and national competition authorities within the European Competition Network (ECN).
The Council also actively participates in developing competition policy in international forums, such as ECA (European Competition Authorities), OECD (Organization for Economical Co-operation and Development) and ICN (International Competition Network).
A lot of attention is paid to the cooperation with competition authorities in neighboring and other countries.
- ECN – the European Competition Network
ECN – is a cooperation forum comprised of the European Commission and national competition authorities of Member States the aim of which is to guarantee effective and uniform application of EC competition rules.
ECN was launched on the 1st May, 2004, when Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2003 on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty came into force. Main cooperation principles whereby ECN activity is guided are established in Commission Notice on cooperation within the Network of Competition Authorities.
Lithuanian competition authority cooperates with other national authorities within the Network when deciding cases for which Articles 81 (prohibited agreements) and 82 (abuse of dominant position) are applicable, as well as when participating in working groups set up by the European Commission wherein relevant questions of competition policy and law are elaborated.
- ECA – European Competition Authorities
ECA is an informal forum comprised of EEA (EU Member states, EFTA states, European Commission and EFTA Surveillance Authority) competition authorities. ECA was established in 2001 in Amsterdam with a view to promote cooperation of competition institutions and strengthen national and European competition legislation enforcement.
Cooperation proceeds by organizing annual meetings of directors of competition institutions where actual competition questions are discussed in working groups or important information is exchanged. At present working groups on concentration, fines and financial services are operating.
- OECD – Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
On 14th December, 1960, after twenty countries had signed Convention on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD was established – an international organization, which at the moment has 30 member states, with more 25 states participating in committees, working and expert groups as observers or participants.
Main goals of the organization are the following:
- achieve sustainable economical growth,
- promote employment,
- rise standard of living,
- maintain financial stability,
- contribute to the development of the world economy,
- to contribute to the expansion of world trade.
In achievement of these goals one of the most important tasks of the organization is to promote fair competition, the realization whereof belongs to the competence of the Competition Committee, various working and experts groups.
The Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania participates in OECD Competition Committee, Working Party No. 2 “Competition and Regulation” and Working Party No. 3 “Co-operation and Enforcement” as an observer since 2001.
More on OECD: www.oecd.org
- ICN – International Competition Network
International competition network, as an organization, was established in New York on 25th October, 2001, in pursuance of tackling exclusively the questions regarding international competition implementation and policy. The initiators of the ICN were representatives of competition authorities from 14 states – Australia, European Union, the USA, United Kingdom, Israel, Italy, Japan, Canada, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, France, Germany and Zambia. The Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania participates in the activity of ICN since 2002.
More on ICN: www.internationalcompetitionnetwork.org
- Bilateral cooperation