Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) said on its website that several meetings and workshops have been held for the anti-trust authorities of Ukraine and Moldova.
Poland hosted these events in its role as the leader of a group of countries supporting competition protection authorities in EU candidates states, the watchdog added.
Last week, a workshop on "market research in the context of new technologies" was held in Poland, the UOKIK said, adding that the meeting it hosted lasted from November 28 to December 1.
The workshop was attended by representatives from 16 European anti-trust authorities, the American Federal Trade Commission and the OECD, according to the Polish watchdog.
Participants discussed issues such as practical analysis of proceedings in competition protection, including market research, "investigations into digital markets or controlling concentration," and "the use of AI tools in the operations of anti-trust authorities," it said.
The meeting was held after countries in the South-East Europe region signed a memorandum on cooperation in April last year, following an initiative by Tomasz Chróstny, head of the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.
Memorandum signatories at the time included Poland's UOKIK and competition protection authorities from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.
The two EU candidate states, Ukraine and Moldova, also signed the memorandum.
"In December 2022, during the informal meeting of representatives of competition protection authorities, I suggested to deepen substantive support for Ukraine and Moldova," said Chróstny.
"My suggestion was appreciated by European partners," he added. "We are willing to share our experience with the states which are on their way to the membership in the European Union."
Tomasz Chróstny, head of Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK). Photo: PAP/Rafał Guz
The main objective of the initiative is to promote and enhance regional cooperation in enforcing competition policy and laws by exchanging experience and best practices for the benefit of the Moldovan Competition Council (CC) and the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine, according to the Polish watchdog.
Both are involved in the reorganisation of laws in their countries "in terms of the prospective membership of their states in the European Union," it said.
This year, three workshops have been held with approximately 180 participants from 10 anti-trust authorities and other institutions in attendance.
The UOKIK says it plans more initiatives aimed at Ukraine and Moldova next year.
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Source: uokik.gov.pl