What is the ECA
The competition authorities of the European Economic Area and European Free Trade Association are united in the European Competition Authorities established in Amsterdam in 2001. The ECA is an informal organization with the objective to find ways how to best implement competition policy and regulation in Europe through discussion. The ECA also focuses on improving the co-operation among European competition authorities and stimulation of convergence in regulations and policy by means of discussion.
Furthermore, ECA members seek solutions to shared problems. The members meet at least once a year.
At present the ECA has the following working groups:
Leniency
The first working group in the ECA was created in 2001. The aim of this working group was to consider whether common principles could be formulated with which Leniency programmes would be in accord. The results were determined in Principles for Leniency Programmes.
Mergers
The aim of this working group is to improve co-operation among competition authorities when a merger is notified to more than one competition authority. The working group prepared a procedural guide. This guide states procedures for information exchange among competition authorities in the case of a multiple merger notification. The aim is to ensure that the entrepreneurs who intend to notify a merger must not do it more than once – “one-stop-shop” principle.
Furthermore, on January 12, 2005 the ECA adopted a modified version of the Principles on the basis of a preliminary report made by the Merger Working Group with regard to application of Article 4 (5) and Article 22 of the EC Merger Regulation by the national competition authorities in the ECA.
Financial Services
The working group was established in May 2004 and it conducts a comparative study with the aim to broaden the understanding of differences and similarities among national banking markets and national markets for payment systems, and competition issues resulting from these markets.
Energy
The aim of the working group established in May 2004 is to consider to what degree contributed the ECA members activities to a higher consistence of the national energy markets with the common European market from the aspect of competition. The analysis will lead to a common view on methods which could be applied in conducting research in the energy sector.
Other forms of co-operation
Besides co-operation in the above mentioned forums, the ECA maintains contact with other competition authorities around the world, either on a bilateral, or multilateral basis. Such contacts are always based on mutual exchange of experience and views.
5/10/2009