The fourth EU-India Competition Week took place online on 13^th and 14^th December 2021. This annual discussion showcased the commitment of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition (DG Competition) and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to step up their cooperation and technical exchanges on competition policy and law.

CCI Chairperson Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta opened the event, emphasising that the EU-India Competition Week is another valuable programme organised by the European Union that is extremely relevant for CCI officers strengthening their capacities and building close association with the EU staff. The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to India, Mr. Seppo Nurmi, in his opening remarks, added that the organisation of the fourth Competition Week in India was a great opportunity for an open and thorough discussions on competition policy and law, and evidence of the commitment on both sides to strengthen their cooperation and technical exchanges, building on the previous years’ Competition Weeks.

Officials from both agencies were joined by officials from the Italian and French national competition authorities for a series of roundtable discussions. Discussions focussed on the practical challenges of competition enforcement and regulation on digital markets, building on previous year’s discussions in light of recent developments. The second day of discussions focused on competition law and enforcement in the pharmaceutical sector and how to ensure increased competition and companies striving for innovation, at the same time as product accessibility and fair prices. The technical exchanges allowed for good practices to be shared on case handling and enforcement.

The Competition Week builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between DG Competition and the CCI in 2013, to deepen relations and strengthen cooperation between the two agencies. The MoU sets out the framework for discussion on competition legislation, sharing of non-confidential information on legislation and enforcement and technical cooperation.

The Competition Week also fits into the framework outlined in the Joint Communication: Elements for an EU Strategy on India, as adopted by the European Commission and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on 20 November 2018. The Joint Communication acknowledges the importance of strengthening the political, economic and people-to-people ties with India to address global challenges, promote economic growth, and expand business opportunities.

In the 16^th EU-India summit (8 May 2021), the leaders of EU and India agreed to continue work on the roadmap 2025 to further strengthen cooperation and exchange of best practices by engaging in a dialogue with regards to competition law.

The Competition Week is an excellent example for the good collaboration between the two countries.

Background

The EU-India Competition Week is part of the Competition Cooperation project, a 5-year EU-funded programme aimed at fostering convergence of competition policies to create a more level playing field in world trade. The Competition Cooperation project covers 14 countries: China, India, Japan, South Korea and the ASEAN Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Other activities scheduled under the Competition Cooperation project are the Competition Summer School, which takes place annually at an academic institution in Europe, and the EU Visitors Programme, where Asian Competition officials attend work placements at the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition or one of the EU Member State National Competition Agencies.

More information about the project is available on www.competitioncooperation.eu.

More information about the European Commission's bilateral dialogue with India in the field of competition policy is available on the Commission's website.