Globalization of Competition Policy 2016

Key Topics

• To what extent are competition regulators in agreement on a common set of standards?
• How much progress is being made towards widely accepted standards for competition policy and regulation?
• What factors have contributed to the lack of progress on standardization?
• How much standardization is desirable? What level of convergence is optimal? Are the strategies, mechanisms and institutions relied upon to achieve greater convergence working?
• What role can multilateral and industry organizations play in furthering convergence?
• What are the benefits of convergent approaches to competition policy and what are the risks?
• Might less be more in the case of convergence in minority shareholdings and joint ventures?
• How can the benefits of increased cooperation between regulators be realized?
• How do anti-trust measures in different jurisdictions make mergers more difficult, for example the requirements for notifications by different countries in which the companies may operate?
• Are new systems on merger control – with varied processes, goals and stages – leading to more pronounced differences and conflicting approaches?
• What are the key considerations for competition policy and legislation when assessing the implications of the digital economy? What are the merits of competition law versus sector-specific legislation?
• What are the risks that attempts by regulators in emerging regions and non-OECD countries to adopt the ‘better practice’ of more established regulatory regimes ultimately lead to inadequate policies and approaches to competition regulation?
• What is the appropriate role of competition law in furthering the digital single market?
• Does the challenge of trying to legislate and regulate in the digital economy mean that policy-makers will always be playing catch up?
• What can be expected from the European Commission’s preliminary report on its e-commerce sector inquiry?
• How should the requirement to ensure adequate antitrust enforcement be balanced with the need to promote and nurture innovation in e-commerce?
• What limits, if any, should antitrust law impose on the collection and use of consumer data?
• What are the implications of big data for antitrust enforcement?