International Meetings

1.1. The 3rd Meeting of High-Level Representatives of Asia-Pacific Competition Authorities

in Paris and OECD Global Forum on Competition (GFC) hosted by the OECD between 4-6 December 2019 in Paris, France, with the goal in the development of trade competition policy and law covering the following issues:

1. Digitization.
2. Policy initiatives and prioritization
3. Market definition and market power in the digital space
4. Merger Control
5. Merger control in dynamic markets
6. Competition for the market.

 

1.2. Webinar on Competition Authorities’ Responses to COVID-19

on 21 April 2020, is hosted by Hong Kong Competition Commission (HKCC) to discuss and exchange comments on the performance of trade competition regulators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Important issues are increasing strictness in trade competition law enforcement to combat price gouging of necessities during the pandemic, and temporary relaxation of trade competition law enforcement to encourage cooperation between private entities to ensure adequate distribution of necessities, along with cooperation in research and development of healthcare industries to combat the pandemic. Other issues include the impact of stimulus packages and state aids on trade competition to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on trade competition regulation and challenges of the trade competition regulators after the pandemic.

 

1.3. The 8th United Nations Conference to Review All Aspects of the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of restrictive Business Practices (UN Set) Combatting cross-border cartels, on 22 October 2020.

This meeting is aimed to exchange experience and good practices in international cooperation to regulate cross-border cartels. The Trade Competition Commission Chairperson has stated support initiatives in including combating cross-border cartels in priority areas in the operation of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Law and Policy (IGE) for five years. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Russian Federation is the proponent of the initiative, which is joined by the TCCT as a co-sponsorship.

The TCCT Chairperson has likewise stated supported the establishment of the Working Group on Cross-border Cartels under the UNCTAD meeting to exchange knowledge, experience, and good practices on trade competition in an issue of Cross-border Cartels. The TCCT has participated in the working group’s first webinar on 4 February 2021.

 

1.4. 2020 Global Forum on Competition

hosted by the OECD between 7 and 10 December 2020. The meeting exchanges knowledge, ideas, and good practices on trade competition in three issues: lawful market dominance in the digital market, economic analysis for merger case investigation, and application of market studies to regulate trade competition.

 

1.5. The 25th AEGC Meeting

between 20 – 22 October 2020 has the following results:

1. The TCCT has participated in hosting the Staff Exchange Programme, supported by the JAIF. Representatives from the Indonesian Competition Commission (ICC) have trained at the TCCT between 8 and 21 December 2020. Regarding sending TCCT representatives to the ICC, the secretary department is coordinating with the ASEAN Secretariat and ICC to define the training period under the Staff Exchange Programme later on, due to pandemic-induced postponement.
2. Thailand has supported and put on the link to The Virtual ASEAN Competition Research Centre (V-ACRC) on the TCCT website for trade competition researchers of Thammasat University and Chulalongkorn University to support researches into trade competition and economics, and introduce V-ACRC to provincial universities.
3. Thailand has stated intention to be peer-reviewed in trade competition regulation performance by the third party in 2022, which might be supported through the Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Korea: (MOEF). Currently, the TCCT is on self-assessment before submitting the assessment result to the ASEAN Secretariat in order to be peer-reviewed in the next phase. This is due to a requirement that the trade competition regulator has to self-assess, submit the result to the ASEAN Secretariat for the acknowledgment to be eligible for peer review.
4. The AEGC meeting reports progress in AANZFTA negotiations, including improvement of the competition chapter by adding consumer protection. The meeting has approved key elements to be drafted into a section.

 

1.6. ASEAN Competition Enforcers Network (ACEN) meeting

to comment on the Study on Recommended Procedures for Cooperation on Cross-Border Competition Cases between 7-8 October 2020. Details are as follows:

1. Cooperation in cross-border case investigation will cover two issues: the extent of each country’s jurisdiction and cooperation. The cooperation will be focused on the development of cross-border investigative cooperation between two or more countries, in order to be able to exchange investigative procedure and case information, which will be beneficial to trade competition regulation in ASEAN without impact on other trade competition laws and other laws in ASEAN member states.
2. Expert studies show that cooperation will be 1) normal cooperation. In case of cross-border competition issues arising, two or more ASEAN member states will share non-classified information, along with general law enforcement information, policy, investigative procedure, and economic analysis. 2) Complex cooperation. ASEAN member states will jointly investigate trade competition cases, share in-depth details such as dawn raid, testimonial investigation, request of investigative or remedial measures, for example.
3. ASEAN member states with experience in cross-border investigation cooperation are Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and all of them have normal cooperation.