FTC to Participate in Fifth Annual International Competition Network Conference in Cape Town, South Africa

Federal Trade Commissioner William Kovacic and several FTC staff members will participate in the fifth annual International Competition Network (ICN) Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, on May 3-5, 2006. At the conference, senior antitrust officials and private antitrust experts from around the world as well as representatives from intergovernmental organizations will meet to discuss competition issues.

The ICN conference will focus on the recent work of its four substantive working groups — Mergers, Cartels, Antitrust Enforcement in the Telecommunications Sector, and Competition Policy Implementation – and discuss the formation of a new working group on unilateral conduct to be co-chaired by the FTC. ICN member agencies participate in these project-oriented working groups to address policy and enforcement issues and formulate proposals for ICN consensus. Private sector experts and intergovernmental organizations are active participants in the working groups. Conference discussions will address the issues considered by the four working groups and will include: the analytical framework for merger review; obstruction of justice, digital evidence gathering, and the interaction of public and private enforcement in cartel investigations; suggested best practices in antitrust enforcement in the telecommunications sector; and the promotion of competition policy in developing and transition economies. Participants will also discuss the implementation of the ICN Recommended Practices for Merger Notification and Review Procedures and other ICN work product. The conference will enable the participants to finalize work plans for the coming 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 97 member agencies from 85 jurisdictions. The ICN has two main goals — to promote greater substantive and procedural convergence among antitrust authorities on sound competition principles and to provide support for new antitrust agencies, both in enforcing their laws and in building strong competition cultures in their countries.

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2006: 5th ANNUAL ICN CONFERENCE (DAY 1)

8:45 A.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 2:45 P.M. (EDT) – Opening Address
Opening remarks by Dr. Ulf B ge as Chairman of the ICN Steering Group.

9:00 A.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 3:00 P.M. (EDT) – Welcoming Address
Welcoming remarks by David Lewis and Shan Ramburuth, Competition Authorities of South Africa, as hosts of the ICN conference.

9:15 A.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 3:15 P.M. (EDT) – Competition Policy Implementation Working Group Session
Presentations will address successful business outreach techniques, technical assistance, and the perspective of the judiciary in trying antitrust cases. Commissioner William Kovacic is a panelist. Following panel presentations, delegates will discuss these topics in small group breakout sessions.

2:00 P.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 8:00 P.M. (EDT) – Merger Working Group Session Thomas O. Barnett, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, will make introductory remarks, followed by presentations on the merger guidelines workbook, investigative techniques training materials, and notification and procedures activities. Gerald Masoudi, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, will moderate the panel; Randolph Tritell, head of the FTC’s International Antitrust Division, will present the work of the group that he chairs on merger notification and procedures. Following panel presentations, delegates will discuss these topics in small group breakout sessions.

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006: 5th ANNUAL ICN CONFERENCE (DAY 2)

8:30 A.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 2:30 P.M. (EDT) – Telecommunications Working Group Session
Sheridan Scott of the Canadian Competition Bureau will moderate a panel on enforcement issues in the telecommunications sector and suggested best practices. Gerald Masoudi is a panelist. Norman Manoim of the South African Competition Tribunal will moderate a panel on the perspectives of young antitrust agencies.

11:15 A.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 5:15 P.M. (EDT) – Competition and Development Panel Discussion
The discussion will be moderated by Frederic Jenny, Judge, French Supreme Court and Chair of the OECD’s Competition Committee, and panelists will include: Mrs. Elizabeth Farina, President of CADE, Brazil; Mrs. Mona Yassine, Chair of the Egyptian Competition Authority; Mr. Peter Njoroge, Commissioner of the Monopolies and Price Commission, Kenya; and, David Lewis, Chairperson of the Competition Tribunal, South Africa.

2:00 P.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 8:00 P.M. (EDT) – Cartel Working Group Session
Panel discussions will examine obstruction of justice in cartel investigations; digital evidence gathering; and the interaction of public and private enforcement in cartel investigations. Marc Siegel, Director of Criminal Enforcement, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, is a panelist. Following panel presentations, delegates will discuss these topics in small group breakout sessions.

FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2006: 5th ANNUAL ICN CONFERENCE (DAY 3)

8:30 A.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 2:30 P.M. (EDT) – Implementation Session
Eduardo P rez Motta, President, Mexican Federal Competition Commission, will moderate a panel discussion on implementation of ICN work product by member agencies. Maria Coppola Tineo of the FTC’s International Division will make a presentation on implementation efforts of the ICN’s Recommended Practices for Merger Notification and Review.

10:15 A.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 4:15 P.M. (EDT) – Unilateral Conduct Discussion
Commissioner William Kovacic of the FTC will make introductory remarks and co-moderate the discussion on the formation of this new group, together with Dr. Ulf B ge, President of the German Federal Cartel Office.

12:30 P.M. (GMT + 2 hours), 6:30 P.M. (EDT) – Closing Remarks
Dr. Ulf B ge, David Lewis, and Shan Ramburuth will deliver closing remarks.

Complete information about the conference is available at http://www.internationalcompetitionnetwork.org/capetown2006/index.html and http://www.icn-capetown.org.za. The ICN Conference will be located at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town, South Africa.