How to deal with transnational concentation cases which may affect many markets? The issue was among other cases discussed during the seminar held under the annual meeting of heads of European antitrust authorities (ECA) hosted by the President of UOKiK. This is the first event organized by the Office during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Heads of European antitrust authorities have been holding annual meetings under the European Competition Authorites (ECA) since 2001
The seminar entitled Multijurisdictional mergers in Europe constituted an essential part of the event

Heads of European antitrust authorities have been holding annual meetings under the European Competition Authorites (ECA) since 2001. This year Poland hosts the meeting and representatives of EU countries, EFTA as well as the European Council were guests of honour at the event held by the President of UOKiK in Warsaw on 5^th and 6^th July 2011. The meeting gave an opportunity to exchange experiences and present the latest works of particular agencies, reconsider the role of antitrust authorities in times of economic crisis, enhance the knowledge of competition among all market participants, mechanisms for its introduction in public utility services, and plan the actions to be taken by the ECA.

The seminar entitled Multijurisdictional mergers in Europe constituted an essential part of the event attended inter alia by Małgorzata Krasnodębska-Tomkiel, the President of UOKiK, Bernd Langheine, DG Competition, EC, and Bruno Lasserre, the President of French Competition Authority as well as many representatives of European competition protection authorities, lawyers and academics. Presentations and discussions concerned concentrations affecting the markets of many countries. Such transnational transactions are governed by the EU Regulation of 2004, according to which the European Commission has an exclusive power to consider the case if the combined turnover of undertakings involved exceeds the specified threshold. Provisions on refferal included in the Regulation complement the rule, according to which one or more Member States may submit a request to the EC to consider the case, which however is not of the European dimension, still affects the trade between the Memer States. Furthermore, the EC may pass on the request it has been submitted to the Member States.

Participants to the seminar agreed that the system effectively safeguards directing cases to the relevant authority. Neverteless, the participants raised the issue of how to facilitate the transnational concentrations procedures, and discussed the cooperation between the authorities of particular countries and the EC, e.g. the exchange of confidential information.

The meeting of heads of antitrust authorities and the accompanying seminar was the first event held by UOKiK under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The next scheduled event is the European Competition and Consumer Day planned to be held in Poznań on 24^th and 25^th November.

Małgorzata Krasnodębska-Tomkiel, President, UOKiK

Bruno Lasserre, President of the Competition Authority, France

Peter Ohrlander, Policy Analyst, Unit A2 – Policy &. Scrutiny Antitrust and Mergers DG Competition

António Ferreira Gomes, Head of the Mergers and Acquisitions Department, Portuguese Competition Authority

Stephane Hautbourg, Partner, Gide Loyrette Law Firm

Discussion

Mateusz Blachucki, Office of Competition and Consumer Protection

Wolfgang Heckenberger, Chief Competition Counsel, Siemens

Andreas Bardong, Head of Section Merger Policy, Bundeskartelamt

Noreen Mackey, Legal Advisor, Irish Competition Authority

Discussion

Additional information for the media:
Małgorzata Cieloch, Spokesperson for UOKiK
Department of International Relations and Communication
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw
Tel. +48 22 827 28 92, 55 60 314, 55 60 430
Fax +48 22 826 11 86
E-mail: malgorzata.cieloch@uokik.gov.pl