CADE holds debate on competition challenges and prospects

Competition Defence Day was celebrated with event on current and future challenges faced by authority

Published in Jan 05, 2026 10:00 AM

On 11 December, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) held the event “Competition to Transform Brazil: challenges and prospects” at the Tancredo Neves Auditorium of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security. The meeting gathered authorities, civil servants, employees, academics, as well as experts to debate current and strategic issues on competition policy.

The initiative, held in honour of the Competition Defence Day celebrated on 5 December, reinforced the importance of a competitive environment for Brazil's economic and social development. In addition, the celebration raises awareness of institutional advances in promoting competition, as well as the challenges posed by an economy in constant transformation.

The opening session was conducted by Gustavo Augusto, President of CADE, who highlighted the agency's role in ensuring more efficient, innovative, and balanced markets.

"We are at a moment of transformation at CADE, which will occur on several levels. Ten years ago, our operations were heavily concentrated in commodity markets, which are simpler in nature. Nowadays, we deal with more complex sectors, such as standard essential patents, mobile phone manufacturers, and digital markets, which require the agency to adapt. We need to get ready for the challenges of this century," he emphasised.

During the event, three panels gathered representatives from CADE, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the Federal Prosecution Office, as well as academics.

The first panel named "Digital market: cases and trends," discussed the regulatory and competitive challenges of the digital environment. Afterwards, the second debate addressed "Leniency Agreement and Settlement Policy in Cartel Cases," offering an in-depth analysis of the instruments used to fight against anticompetitive conducts. Finally, the third panel, "Mergers and notification criteria," offered insights on CADE's role in controlling mergers and acquisitions.

In the closing session, President Gustavo emphasised that the debate encouraged important and well-founded reflections on Brazil's economic environment. “We have managed to bring together history and projections for the future,” he concluded.