25th EU-China Competition Week
28 - 31 March 2023
Officials and experts from the EU and China met online from 28 to 31 March 2023 to discuss their cooperation on competition law and enforcement.
The discussions focused on competition law enforcement in the EU and China. In particular, discussions focused on internal case review mechanisms, economic analysis in merger review as well as on legislative and case enforcement updates on the digital economy. Participants also discussed the latest policy developments in State aid measures relevant to the new energy vehicle market as well as updates to the Fair Competition Review System and subsidies review process in China.
The EU-China Competition Week takes place biannually, providing a platform for exchanges on competition policy between the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition and the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation.
The meeting is part of the Competition Cooperation project, a 5-year EU funded programme offering technical cooperation to competition authorities in Asia. The objective is to share experiences and strengthen convergence in competition policy, to the benefit of citizens and businesses in both the EU and in Asia.
More information about the European Commission’ bilateral dialogue with China in the field of competition policy is available on the Commission’s website.
The 26th EU-China Competition Week will take place in October 2023.
Schedule
Internal case review mechanisms – EU and PRC practices
07:45-08:00: Registration / Virtual room open
08:05-08:30: Opening remarks
- Mr Zhou ZHIGAO, Deputy Director General, Competition Policy Coordination Bureau, State Administration for Market Regulation
- Mr Torben TOFT, Senior Expert, Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
08:30-09:45: Session I – The EU’s use of internal peer review to improve decision-making in competition law enforcement
Moderator: Ms Hilary JENNINGS, Special Adviser on Competition Policy, Competition Cooperation Project
Overview:
- Best practices for the conduct of proceedings in antitrust investigations
- Internal checks at different stages of the investigation to improve procedural fairness
Presentation by
- Ms Elisavet ARSENIDOU, Policy Officer, Antitrust Case Support & Policy, Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Q&A
09:45-11:00: Session II – The PRC’s approach to internal case review to improve decision-making in competition law enforcement
Overview:
- Experiences with internal decision making in investigations
- Review practices during the investigation stage
Presentation by
- Mr WANG Jiheng, Department II of anti-monopoly enforcement, SAMR
- Mr WU Jinzuan, Deputy Director, Department of Competition Policy Coordination, SAMR
Q&A
The digital economy in the EU and PRC – Legislative and case enforcement updates
07:45-08:00: Registration/ Virtual room open
08:05 – 09:30 Session I – Update on the implementation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act and recent enforcement experiences in digital economy cases
Overview
- Overview of the main architecture of the DMA: scope, gatekeepers and obligations
- Enforcement of the DMA: governance and enforcement powers
- Next steps in the implementation of the DMA
- Update and overview of recent antitrust digital market cases
Presentation by
- Mr Fabian KAISER, Case Handler, Digital Platforms, Directorate General for Competition, European Commission
Q&A
09:30 – 11:00 Session II – Update on SAMR’s enforcement cases in the digital economy and an update on legislative and policy developments related to competition and digital markets
Overview
- Update and overview of recent digital market cases
- Update on legislative and policy developments related to competition and digital markets
Presentation by
- Mr ZENG Chuan, Deputy Director, Department I of anti-monopoly enforcement, SAMR
Discussion and Q&A
Economic analysis in merger review – methodologies and experiences from the EU and PRC
07:45-08:00: Registration / Virtual room open
08:05-11:00 Session I: The development and application of economic analysis in merger review
Overview
- The use of economic models in merger review – how useful are benchmark models? How to avoid misuse?
- Where to focus the economic analysis and consideration / assessment of overall industry structure and “motivation” of the transaction
- How to integrate economic analysis into the overall legal strategy of the case
- Use of ex-post assessments to identify impacts and evaluate effectiveness of tools to predict impact of past-mergers
- Recent examples
Presentation by
- Mr Borja CASADO, Economist, Chief Economist Unit, Directorate General for Competition, European Commission
- Ms YU Jiamu, Director, Department II of anti-monopoly enforcement, SAMR
Q&A and discussion session
Building of a unified national market and subsidies review under the FCRA; State aid, greening the economy and measures relevant to the new energy vehicle market
07:45-08:00: Registration / Virtual room open
08:05-09:30 Session I: Building of a unified national market and subsidies review under the FCRS
Overview:
- Objectives and key tasks for accelerating the construction of a national unified market
- Preliminary research for drafting the Rules for Fair Competition Review in the Area of Subsidies
Presentation by
- Ms ZHOU Minjia , Deputy Director, Department of Competition Policy Coordination,SAMR
Q&A
09:30-11:00 Session II: State aid developments, greening the economy and the new electric vehicle market
Overview:
- Objectives and operation of State aid framework in relation to climate, environmental protection and energy
- Implications for new electric vehicles – including Important Projects of Common European Interest
Presentation by
- Ms Graça DA COSTA, State aid and competition consultant, former DG Competition Senior Expert on State aid strategy
Q&A
11:00 – 11:15 Closing remarks
- Mr Torben TOFT, Senior Expert, Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
- Mr ZHOU Zhigao, Deputy Director General, Department of Competition Policy Coordination, SAMR
