Officials and experts from the EU and China met in Beijing from 15^th to 18^th October to advance cooperation and exchange practical experiences on priority competition topics. The 17^th EU-China Competition Week marked the beginning of a dialogue between the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition (DG Competition) and the newly established State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). It builds on a longstanding tradition of biannual competition dialogue between the EU and preceding anti-monopoly enforcement agencies in China.

Officials from DG Competition and the Anti-Monopoly Bureau and Price Supervision and Anti-Unfair Competition Bureau of SAMR were joined by officials from the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority, the European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers and the Delegation of the European Union to China to strengthen cooperation in the area of competition. A judge from the Supreme People’s Court and experts from academia and competition practice provided their perspectives during the in-depth discussions on competition law and policy.

The four-day series of roundtable discussions provided a platform for exchange of practical experiences with cases and cooperation on the enforcement of competition law and policy. European and Chinese officials and experts discussed a wide range of topics, including the use of economic tools in merger analysis, remedies in mergers, rebates, Standard Essential Patents, anti-unfair competition law and the application of the Fair Competition Review System and State Aid control.

EU-China Competition Weeks take place biannually in March and October, when officials from DG Competition and their counterparts in China engage in a dialogue to enhance cooperation and transparency between China and the EU in the field of competition. The 18^th EU-China Competition Week will take place in March 2019.

Background

The EU-China Competition Week is part of the Competition Cooperation project, a 5-year EU-funded programme aimed at fostering convergence of competition policies to create a more level playing field in trade and the economy. The Competition Cooperation project covers 14 countries: China, India, Japan, South Korea and the ASEAN Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Other activities scheduled under the Competition Cooperation project are the Competition Summer School, taking place at an academic institution in Europe, and the EU Visitors Programme at the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition or one of the EU Member State National Competition Agencies.

More information about the project is available on www.competitioncooperation.eu 

More information about the European Commission's bilateral dialogue with China in the field of competition policy is available on the Commission's website.