CADE represents Brazil in OECD event on current antitrust issues

From 22 to 26 June, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) will attend the 149th Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Competition Committee meeting, held in Paris, France, to present Brazilian contributions regarding key issues on the contemporary competition agenda.

Interim President Diogo Thomson and Commissioner Camila Alves will participate in three roundtables to present the agency’s contributions to the OECD Competition Committee, the leading international forum for discussion and cooperation on competition matters.

“Taking part in the OECD forums enables CADE not only to keep up with developments in international best practices, but also to share Brazil’s experience and actively contribute to shaping the international competition policy agenda,” Mr Thomson stated.

CADE’s Participation

The first roundtable on Competition Policy and Consumer Policy in Digital Markets will explore how digitalisation has redefined the relationship between businesses and consumers, as well as the challenges it presents for competition authorities. CADE will cover topics such as data-driven business models, algorithm-based decision-making, mechanisms for influencing behaviour and capturing attention, value creation from data, consumer autonomy, privacy, and potential gaps in current regulatory frameworks.

The agency will also present its contribution at the roundtable on Information Sharing in Competition Policy, which will address the challenges involved in assessing information exchanges among competitors.

The discussion aims to examine some aspects, such as the nature of the information shared, characteristics of the markets involved, cases in which the exchange of information may serve as evidence of a cartel or constitute a violation, and impacts arising from the increasing availability of data.

Another contribution will be presented at the roundtable on Case Prioritisation and Prosecutorial Discretion to debate how competition authorities set priorities for their work in the face of limited financial, technical, and human resources.

The Brazilian representation will also be complemented by the Secretariat for Economic Reform of the Ministry of Finance that takes part in the roundtable on Competition and Regulation in the Healthcare Sector.

The OECD Competition Committee

The OECD gathers 38 countries with high-income economies and well-established democracies to promote public policies aimed at economic development and social welfare. Within the framework of the Competition Committee, authorities from different jurisdictions share experiences and discuss trends, regulatory challenges, and best practices relating to competition defence. Brazil has been an Associate Member of the Competition Committee since 2019.

The meeting’s agenda also includes discussions on the OECD’s recommendation for cooperation between member countries in areas where competition and trade policies may conflict, the definition of the committee’s future work, a peer review of Latvia’s competition policy, a roundtable on Competition and Corruption in Public Procurement, besides a presentation on the activities of the organisation’s Competition Division, and Global Relations and Cooperation Directorate.