Candidate Countries Progress towards EU Competition Community
20/6/2002 9:45
According to information released by the EU Commission, representatives of the Competition and State aid authorities from the 13 candidate countries and from the EU Commission, led by Competition Commissioner Mario Monti, have met in Vilnius, Lithuania, from 16 to 18 June, for their Eighth Annual Competition Conference. With the accession negotiations with several countries reaching their final phase, the conference was held at a key moment in the enlargement process.
A credible competition policy and enforcement record are of crucial importance for getting the economies of the future Member States in shape and prepare their companies for the EU's internal market, as was pointed out by Mr Monti in his opening address. The main focus of the conference was on the progress achieved by the candidate countries in the field of anti-trust, merger regulation and State aid control in particular, and on how to best organise the future co-operation between the national competition authorities and the European Commission.
The event took place at an important moment in the enlargement process. Negotiations on competition (Chapter VI of the accession talks) with five candidate countries (Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia) have already been provisionally closed, and negotiations with other candidate countries have reached a decisive stage.
The conference also discussed the particular competition issues raised by energy liberalisation, both in the EU and in the candidate countries. Recent developments in State aid policy, the ongoing merger review and the state-of-play of antitrust modernisation in the EU also figured on the agenda, with delegates from the future Member States highlighting their possible contributions and the expected impact on their own work. In addition, an exchange of views took place on recent developments in the World Trade Organisation and the International Competition Network (ICN). Finally, the Commission presented its proposal on how to deal with State aids that have been granted by the candidate countries before accession, but may have effects beyond their joining the Community.
A credible competition policy and enforcement record are of crucial importance for getting the economies of the future Member States in shape and prepare their companies for the EU's internal market, as was pointed out by Mr Monti in his opening address. The main focus of the conference was on the progress achieved by the candidate countries in the field of anti-trust, merger regulation and State aid control in particular, and on how to best organise the future co-operation between the national competition authorities and the European Commission.
The event took place at an important moment in the enlargement process. Negotiations on competition (Chapter VI of the accession talks) with five candidate countries (Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia) have already been provisionally closed, and negotiations with other candidate countries have reached a decisive stage.
The conference also discussed the particular competition issues raised by energy liberalisation, both in the EU and in the candidate countries. Recent developments in State aid policy, the ongoing merger review and the state-of-play of antitrust modernisation in the EU also figured on the agenda, with delegates from the future Member States highlighting their possible contributions and the expected impact on their own work. In addition, an exchange of views took place on recent developments in the World Trade Organisation and the International Competition Network (ICN). Finally, the Commission presented its proposal on how to deal with State aids that have been granted by the candidate countries before accession, but may have effects beyond their joining the Community.
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1275.09
