Mandate: Resolution of the Council concerning the Committee of Experts on Restrictive Business Practices and amending its name and terms of reference [C(87)138(Final)]
- Extract from the Communiqué [C(91)91] adopted by the Council at Ministerial level on 4-5 June 1991
- Change of name from ‘Committee on Competition Law and Policy’ to ‘Competition Committee’ agreed by Council at its 1017th session [C/M(2001)23, item 402] and document [C(2001)261]
- Council Decision regarding a Sunset Clause for all Committees [C/M(2004)5, item 75] entered into force on 22 April 2004 [C/M(2004)10, item 143, IV, c)]
- C(2008)134 and CORR1: proposed new mandate
- Resolution of the Council on the new mandate [C(2008)134 & CORR1 and C/M(2008)17, item 219]
- Resolution of the Council [C(2014)146, Annex and C/M(2014)13, item 211]
- Resolution of the Council [C(2019)117, Annex and C/M(2019)14, item 183]
- Resolution of the Council [C(2024)170, Annex A and C/M(2024)13, item 3 xxi]
THE COUNCIL,
HAVING REGARD to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) of 14 December 1960;
HAVING REGARD to the Rules of Procedure of the Organisation;
HAVING REGARD to the Resolution of the Council on Partnerships in OECD Bodies [C(2012)100/REV2/FINAL];
HAVING REGARD to the establishment of the “Committee on Competition Law and Policy” in 1961 [C(61)47(Final) and C/M(61)8(Final), Item 58], renamed “Competition Committee” in 2001 [C(2001)261 and C/M(2001)23, Item 402], whose mandate was last revised in 2019 [C(2019)117 and C/M(2019)14, Item 183];
HAVING REGARD to the recommendations of the In-depth Evaluation of the Competition Committee [C(2024)4 and C/M(2024)9, Item 88];
HAVING REGARD to the proposed revision of the mandate of the Competition Committee [C(2024)170];
DECIDES:
A. The Competition Committee (hereafter the “Committee”) is renewed with the following revised mandate:
I. Objectives
1.The main objective of the Committee is to protect and promote competition as an organising principle of modern economies, based on the knowledge that vigorous market competition boosts growth and employment and makes economies more flexible and innovative.
II. Working methods
2. In order to achieve these objectives, the Committee shall:
a) provide an open forum for competition authorities to discuss, share and debate theories and priorities related to competition policy and its implementation;
b) enhance the effectiveness of competition law enforcement, through measures that include the development of standards and best practices in competition and the promotion of co-operation among competition authorities;
c) enhance the effectiveness of pro-competitive economic reform, notably by reviewing competition issues in jurisdictions and particular sectors, including market failures, and identifying options for addressing these issues and developing best practices;
d) help governments promote domestic procompetitive reforms and overcome their transition costs, by proposing effective strategies and methods;
e) ensure that competition perspectives are more widely taken into account in the work of the OECD, by strengthening synergies between competition policy and other government policy areas in the work of the OECD, including in contributing to horizontal initiatives, notably by examining and commenting upon particular competition law and policy issues taking into account the interaction between competition and other government policies;
f) support sound domestic competition policies and fostering policy convergence internationally to avoid inefficiencies and potential conflicts resulting from different competition standards;
g) support the implementation and dissemination of OECD standards in the area of competition as well as best practices and tools, including by promoting policy dialogue and co-operation across countries and providing related capacity building;
h) promote understanding of the benefits of competition for all stakeholders, including but not limited to business, workers and consumers.
III. Co-ordination arrangements
3. In order to achieve its objectives, the Committee shall:
a) work in collaboration with other relevant OECD bodies on competition-related matters to ensure that the Organisation as a whole promotes sound competition policy;
b) maintain, as appropriate, relations with other international organisations and fora, while keeping itself informed of their competition related activities, notably the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the International Competition Network, by promoting and developing, as practicable, partnerships with them and seek to ensure effective complementarities while avoiding undue duplication with other organisations and fora where appropriate, providing a forum for consultations to enable delegates to exchange views on issues raised in these organisations and fora;
c) continue to engage with stakeholders, including Business at OECD (BIAC), the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) as well as other major stakeholders in the competition field, and small- and medium-sized businesses, trade unions and consumer representatives.
B. The mandate of the Competition Committee shall remain in force until 31 December 2029.