The CPLG met in Jakarta, Indonesia in February 2013. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Tzu-Shun HU of the Chinese Taipei Fair Trade Commission. Members discussed its main activities and work plan for the year, including:
- Plan to redesign the Competition Policy and Law Database to improve its usability; and
- An APEC Regional Seminar of APEC New Strategy of Structural Reform (ANSSR) Initiatives Against Anti-Competitive Practices for Ensuring an Open, Well-Functioning and Competitive Market, with a focus on investigative techniques for anti-competitive practices and effective remedies and settlements (proposed by Chinese Taipei and Japan).
In addition to the CPLG work plan and main activities for 2013, members provided updates on changes to domestic competition legislation and policies, as well as updates on recent cases and their implications for enforcement.
A roundtable discussion and a members’ dialogue were also held. The roundtable discussion was on “International Enforcement Cooperation” where members discussed the recommendations by international organizations on international cooperation in competition policy and law enforcement as well as best practices from member economies. The members’ dialogue focused on “the Role of Competition Policy in Free Trade Agreement,” and discussed the recent development of competition issues in ASEAN as well as the competition chapter negotiations in the FTA’s.
Utilising the APEC-OECD Integrated Checklist on Regulatory Reform
Organised by Indonesia, this seminar explored ways to apply the "APEC-OECD Integrated Checklist on Regulatory Reform." The Checklist provides instruction on a range of public sector reforms that include regulations, competition policy and market openness. The seminar covered the two core areas of regulatory reform and competition policy and law. The outcomes were recommendations for actions that would enable APEC member economies to make better use of the Checklist in policy harmonisation.
APEC Training Course on Competition Policy
An annual training course, addressing selected aspects of competition policy, was organized by the CPLG. The first of these courses was held in 2005, and the fifth and last in this series was held in August 2009. The training courses, which are aimed at contributing towards the "APEC Principles to Enhance Competition and Regulatory Reform," provided technical cooperation and assistance focused on building capacity, especially in developing economies. The courses were designed to be attended by the staff of competition agencies in APEC economies.
The training courses held from 2005 to 2009 focused on the following competition issues:
(1) Abuse of Dominant Position, Organisation and Function of Competition Agency;
(2) Regulation of Business Combination, Competition Advocacy;
(3) Competition Policy and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), Effective Implementation of Competition Policy and Law;
(4) Challenges for Cartel Cases in Domestic/International Markets, Competition Policy and Industrial Policy;
(5) Vertical Restraints and Interrelations between Competition Policy and Consumer Protection Policy.
In 2009, the CPLG agreed to hold a series of three new training courses on competition policy over the period of 2010 to 2012.Two training courses have been organised thus far. They included:
- APEC Training Course on Competition Advocacy, which was held in September 2010 in Viet Nam;
- APEC Training Course on Effective Mechanisms Against Cartel Offences, which was held in Penang, Malaysia in October 2011.
The Competition Policy and Law Database
The Competition Policy and Law Database is managed by Chinese Taipei and covers all APEC member economies. The database gives effect to the Osaka Action Agenda which, inter alia, calls on APEC economies to "gather information and promote dialogue on and study ... the objectives, necessity, role and operation of each APEC economy's competition policy and/or laws and administrative procedures, thereby establishing a database on competition policy..." The database will provide access to the various competition policies and laws in force within APEC member economies and can be viewed at www.apeccp.org.tw.
Measures of Competition Development in APEC
The goal of this project was to share experiences among APEC economies on key measures of competition development in institutions, advocacy and simplification of access to infrastructure. A workshop was held in Vladivostok, Russia in September 2012 that shared successful reforms and best practices in competition policy development measures among member economies. Combining members’ survey questionnaire responses and further discussion at the workshop, the final report on Measures of Competition Development in APEC was published in November 2012.
Survey on Information Exchange on Competition in APEC Region - Phase 1
Based on the questionnaire responses provided by competition authorities of member economies, the Survey on Information Exchange on Competition in APEC Region – Phase 1 was published in November 2012, led by Russia. The Survey seeks to provide potential benefits for APEC economies by facilitating information exchange on competition law enforcement and policies among them.
Tzu-Shun HU (Mr)
Convenor
Senior Specialist,
Department of Planning, Fair Trade Commission, Chinese Taipei
14F, 2-2, Ji-Nan Rd, Sec. 1, Taipei, Chinese Taipei, 10051
Email:
Myung-hee YOO (Ms)
Program Director
APEC Secretariat
Email: