Communication
The aim of the protection of market competition is primarily to create benefits for consumers and equal conditions for all entrepreneurs on the market, who, acting in accordance with the existing rules and competing on the market with the quality, price and innovation of their products and services, contribute to the overall development of the economy.
President of the Parliamentary Economic Committee visits CCA
On 15 November Mr. Žarko Tušek, president of the Parliamentary Economic Committee, visited the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA). The purpose of this working visit was to meet with the Competition Council and the heads CCA staff and gain a more detailed insight into the dynamics and working methods of the CCA.
The CCA is accountable to the Croatian Parliament, and each year, it reports to the Parliament and the Parliamentary Economic Committee in its annual report. During the meeting, the heads of staff briefly explained the daily challenges they face, primarily due to insufficient resources and an increasing workload, and explained how each department of the CCA functions. The discussion also covered the CCA activities that include sectoral inquiries aimed at better understanding of the structure of any specific market that in some cases could detect market failures and possible infringements.
The president of the Competition Council, Mirta Kapural, PhD, highlighted the significant efforts of the CCA in competition advocacy, that is to say, in raising awareness of the importance of competition law and policy for the economy and consumers, especially in terms of creating the overall institutional and economic environment that encourages undertakings to enter the market and removes factual and administrative barriers to entry. In terms of employment and professional development, an additional challenge for the CCA is the necessity of specific training of the newly employed staff, which, due to the complexity of the CCA tasks, can take some time until they achieve complete independence in their work. She also pointed out that the CCA does not have its own revenues and that its work and activities are financed exclusively from the State Budget.
In conclusion, it was highlighted that the goal of the CCA was to strengthen its independence and autonomy in the enforcement of competition rules, and for this purpose, it should be ensured sufficient financial and human resources. The CCA aims to continue contributing to the consumers’ welfare and the economy by implementing the competition rules and the rules prohibiting unfair trading practices in the food supply chain.
Mr. Tušek welcomed the collaboration between the government authorities and praised the CCA for its accomplishments. He also expressed a desire for such working meetings to be held more frequently.
