13 October 2021, Budapest – Today starts the annual conference of the International Competition Network (ICN), which brings together competition authorities from around the world. The conference is hosted in a virtual form by the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH). The plenary and breakout sessions of the ICN Annual Conference, which lasts until Friday, will be followed by nearly 1,700 competition experts from more than 130 countries.

The ICN Annual Conference began at noon today with the opening speech of Mr Csaba Balázs RIGÓ, President of the GVH. This year the virtual event, which lasts until Friday, is hosted by the GVH as a recognition of the outstanding achievements of the authority. Mr Andreas MUNDT, Chair of the ICN Steering Group, President of the Bundeskartellamt and Mr Péter SZIJJÁRTÓ, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade gave opening speeches at the event.

     “The ICN provides a platform for international cooperation, the exchange of experience and knowledge and the development of common ground in a world which is more interconnected than ever. This year’s ICN Annual Conference marks 20 years of ICN. Congratulations to President Rigó and his team for organising this great event” said Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, Germany, and ICN Chair.

Over the three days of the conference, more than 100 speakers from around the world will discuss current competition law issues. These include, inter alia, international cooperation in fighting cross-border cartels, anti-cartel enforcement in the time of COVID-19 and digitalisation, innovation and agency effectiveness. As a tradition of ICN Annual Conferences the host country prepares a special project for the event. The GVH conducted a survey on the topic of sustainable development and competition law and will present its results. The project was the first to survey the environmental sustainability aspects of competition law enforcement among competition authorities and non-governmental advisors (NGAs) across the globe.

            „We are in favour of free and fair global trade. However, in order to remain competitive, we have to ensure effective competition. It is therefore highly important to have strong competition authorities that perform their tasks in an appropriate way” - emphasised Péter Szijjártó in his opening speech.

               In view of the lockdowns and travel restrictions currently in place in several countries, the conference is held in a virtual form, thus creating equal opportunity for everyone to participate. The virtual form of the event allows for greater participation compared to the previous ICN annual conferences: the professional programs are followed by almost 1,700 competition law experts from about 130 countries.

“It is an honour earned by tenacious work and at the same time a great opportunity for Hungary to organise and host the annual conference of competition agencies. It is important for the GVH to keep up with the latest developments concerning competition supervision tasks, the novel methods of investigation and analysis, and experience gathered from around the world. This supports the Hungarian national competition authority to safeguard fair competition more effectively, which is in the interest of all citizens of Hungary” - said Csaba Balázs Rigó, President of the GVH.

GVH Press Office

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