Majoras, FTC Staff to Participate in Fourth Annual International Competition Network Conference in Bonn, Germany

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras and several FTC staff members will participate in the fourth annual International Competition Network (ICN) Conference in Bonn, Germany, on June 6-8, 2005. The conference will be the largest gathering of antitrust officials from around the world to meet to discuss competition issues.

The ICN conference will focus on the recent work of the four ICN working groups: Mergers, Cartels, Competition Policy Implementation, and Antitrust Enforcement in Regulated Sectors. ICN member agencies participate in project-oriented working groups that address policy and enforcement issues and formulate proposals for ICN consensus. Private sector experts and intergovernmental organizations are active participants in the working groups. Panel discussions will address the issues considered by the four working groups. Discussion topics will include two proposed recommended practices on merger remedies and competition agency powers; waivers of confidentiality in merger investigations; improving investigative techniques for merger review; the analytical framework for merger review; merger remedies; effective punishment for cartel conduct; leniency applications in anti-cartel investigations; examining the relationships between antitrust agencies and regulators; the promotion of competition policy in developing and transition economies; and implementation of ICN work product. The conference also will enable the participants to finalize work plans for the next year.

In October 2001, the FTC and the Department of Justice joined with antitrust agencies from 13 other jurisdictions around the world (Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Zambia) to create the ICN. The ICN now includes nearly 90 member agencies from 80 jurisdictions. The ICN has two main goals: 1) to promote greater substantive and procedural convergence among antitrust authorities on sound competition principles; and 2) to provide support for new antitrust agencies, both in enforcing their laws and in building strong competition cultures in their countries. The ICN involves consultation with representatives of international organizations, antitrust practitioners, economists, industry and consumer associations, and members of the academic community.

The following portions of the conference will be open to the press:

• 8:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. (CEST), 2:30 A.M. - 6:30 A.M. (EDT)
  The German Bundeskartellamt will host the International Conference on Competition, addressing the theme of the competition principle as a guideline for legislation and state action. The list of speakers includes R. Hewitt Pate, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Neelie Kroes, Competition Commissioner of the European Commission; and Dr. Ulf Böge, President of the Bundeskartellamt.

• 2:00 P.M. (CEST), 8:00 A.M. (EDT) – Welcoming Address
  Opening remarks by Dr. Böge as host and Chairman of the ICN Steering Group.
  
  
• 2:30 P.M. (CEST), 8:30 A.M. (EDT) – Cartel Working Group Session
  Panel discussions will examine effective agency structure for anti-cartel enforcement, effective sanctions for cartel conduct, legally privileged documents found during searches, and multi-jurisdiction leniency applications. Scott D. Hammond, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, is a panelist.

• 8:30 A.M. (CEST), 2:30 A.M. (EDT) – Merger Working Group SessionMakan Delrahim, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice will make introductory remarks. Presentations will address a draft merger guidelines workbook, the Investigative Techniques Handbook for Merger Review, a merger remedies study, waivers of confidentiality in merger investigations, and two new recommended practices on merger remedies and competition agency powers. John Parisi and Randolph Tritell of the FTC are panelists, and Tritell will also moderate a question and answer session after these presentations.
  
  
• 11:00 A.M. (CEST), 5:00 A.M. (EDT) – Antitrust Enforcement in Regulated Sectors Working
  Group Session
  Alberto Heimler of the Italian Antitrust Authority will moderate a panel on the role of competition in the regulation of banks. Guillaume Cerutti, Director General, Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF) France, will moderate a panel on the interaction of antitrust and regulatory authorities.
  
  
• 3:30 P.M. (CEST), 9:30 A.M. (EDT) – Competition Policy Implementation Working Group Session
  FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras will make introductory remarks. Presentations on successful technical assistance, aspects of independence of regulatory authorities and consumer relations will follow. John Graubert, Principal Deputy General Counsel of the FTC, is a panelist.

• 9:00 A.M. (CEST), 3:00 A.M. (EDT) – Implementation Session
  Eduardo Pérez Motta, President, Mexican Federal Competition Commission, will moderate a panel discussion on implementation of ICN work product by member agencies. Maria Coppola of the FTC is a panelist.
  
  
• 10:00 A.M. (CEST), 4:00 A.M. (EDT) – ICN Participation Panel
  David Lewis, Chairperson, Competition Tribunal of South Africa, will moderate a discussion on the expectations of and challenges for younger competition authorities.
  
  
• 1:00 P.M. (CEST), 7:00 A.M. (EDT) – Closing Remarks
  Dr. Böge will deliver closing remarks.
  

Complete information about the conference is available at http://www.internationalcompetitionnetwork.org/annualconferences.html and
http://www.icn-bonn.org. The ICN Conference will be located at the International Congress Centre Bundeshaus Bonn, Germany.