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ECA MeetingMadrid

21. – 22. April 2009

Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde – Federal Competition Authority

GD Dr. Theodor Thanner

BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE

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Recent Case Law

• Antitrust Cases • Elevators and Escalators Cartel – EUR 75.4 mio• Industrial Chemicals Wholesalers – EUR 1.9 mio

(October 2008)• Printing Chemicals Wholesalers – not decided yet

• Sector Inquiry• Liquid fuel market in Austria

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Marchfeld Competition Forum - Cooperation

• Initiative of FCA and Czech Office for the Protection of Competition

• Founded in July 2008• members: AT, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary,

Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland and DG Comp

• Purpose: Strengthening of regional cooperation between NCAs from EU Member States as well as non-members.

• Feb 2009: further meeting “Competition Policy in Times of Financial Crisis”

BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE

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Global Financial Crisis – Challenges

• Risk of competition policy given lower priority by government alongside industry policy goals (pressure to save “failing firms” to preserve jobs and location of industry)

• Preserve the value of competition• Concentration of markets (knowledge of markets

necessary)• Danger of loosing the idea of free markets• Argument of job loss• Making fast decisions

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Global Financial Crisis – Solutions

• Improving the exchange of information through international cooperation

• Information on circumstances, legislation and cases related to financial crisis • single contact points

• Importance of the European and International aspect

• bilateral cooperation• supporting the EC fulfilling its tasks (fe competition Advocacy)

• Formulating common positions• achieving common positions by the NCAs for the national governments

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Global Financial Crisis – Solutions

• Discussing process and scientific aspects• discussing this issue with all stakeholders• establishing contacts within the scientific community• necessity of studies, dealing with competition and financial crisis, regulation

and strengthening of free, fair and transparent markets.

• Business community• getting into contact with the business community to find the best solutions

Overall NCAs have to remain reliable partners.

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ECA Annual Meeting 2010

Last but not least, FCA applies for hosting the 2010 ECA Director Generals‘ Annual Meeting 2010 in Vienna.

Opportunity to further enhance and deepen the cooperation between NCAs of MS and other countries (aim of Marchfeld Competition Forum) within ECA.

BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE