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27 May 2009, Kiew Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde Federal Competition Authority

B UNDES W ETTBEWERBS B EHÖRDE. 27 May 2009, Kiew Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde Federal Competition Authority Director General Dr. Theodor Thanner. Overview. B UNDES W ETTBEWERBS B EHÖRDE. Competition Law Enforcement in Austria Recent Activities of the FCA International Activities: MCF

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27 May 2009, Kiew Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde Federal Competition Authority

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  1. BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE 27 May 2009, Kiew Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde Federal Competition Authority Director General Dr. Theodor Thanner

  2. Overview BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • Competition Law Enforcement in Austria • Recent Activities of the FCA • International Activities: MCF • Competition Policy in Times of Financial Crisis

  3. Competition Law Enforcement in Austria BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • Founded in July 2002 > one of the youngest and smallest national competition authorities within the European Union • Judicial System FCA: investigatory powers, initiates proceedings before the Cartel Court Cartel Court: adopts decision upon the FCA’s application • Reform: Cartel Act 2005 • Alignment to EC Competition Law • Introduction of Leniency Programme

  4. Activities of the FCA – Some Figures BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • 28 members of staff (19 case handlers; 75% lawyers, 25% economists and others) • Activities (2008) • 1 sector inquiry • 9 leniency applications • fines totalling EUR 77,4 Mio. • 275 merger notifications • 15 new cases on abuse of dominant position

  5. Recent Activities BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • Leniency Cases Elevators and Escalators Cartel – EUR 75.4 mio Industrial Chemicals Wholesalers – EUR 1.9 mio Printing Chemicals Wholesalers – not yet decided • Sector Inquiry Liquid fuel market in Austria • International Activities Marchfeld Competition Forum ECA Director General’s Meeting 2010 in Vienna

  6. Sector Inquiry: Retail Prices for Liquid Fuel (1) BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • Public concern raised: FCA started investigation into specific features of the Austrian retail markets for petrol and diesel. • Oil companies claimed that changes of domestic retail prices have to be linked closely to the changes of Platts notations. • Do Austrian retail prices follow Platts notations more slowly downwards than upwards? • Report published in mid-July. (http://www.bwb.gv.at/BWB/Aktuell/spritpreis_23072008.htm)

  7. Sector Inquiry: Retail Prices for Liquid Fuel (2) BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • Main Results • The pass-through takes two weeks. • Temporal asymmetry: Increases in Platts notations are passed through faster than decreases. No asymmetry in volumes. • No full pass through. • Further Action: FCA sent Platts an informal request for information

  8. Marchfeld Competition Forum - Cooperation BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • 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: Meeting on “Competition Policy in Times of Financial Crisis”

  9. Global Financial Crisis – Challenges BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • 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) • Flexibility • Fast Decision-Making

  10. Global Financial Crisis – Solutions BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE • Improving the exchange of information through international cooperation • Importance of the European and International aspect • bilateral cooperation • competition advocacy • Business Community

  11. Thank you for your attention! BUNDESWETTBEWERBSBEHÖRDE www.bwb.gv.at

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