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19th and 26th – 28th April 2021

21st EU-China Competition Week

The 21st EU-China Competition Week took place online on 19th and 26th – 28th April 2021. The week of technical discussions on competition law and enforcement showcased the commitment of the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition (DG Competition) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) of the People’s Republic of China to strengthen their technical cooperation and dialogue. It builds on a longstanding tradition of biannual competition dialogue between the EU and the antimonopoly enforcement agencies in China.

Officials from DG Competition and the SAMR were joined by officials of the German Federal Cartel Office.

The Competition Week provided a platform for both sides to address their priorities and challenges in the field of competition policy. Officials and experts discussed a broad range of topics, including the Fair Competition Review System, merger review and antitrust issues, as well as regulatory and policy initiatives to address competition concerns in digital markets. The discussions provided a platform for frank exchanges on practical experiences with cases and enforcement of competition law and policy in both countries.

EU-China Competition Weeks take place biannually, usually in March and October, when officials from DG Competition and their counterparts in China engage in a dialogue to enhance cooperation and transparency between China and the EU in the field of competition.

The 22nd EU-China Competition Week will take place in October 2021.

  • The Competition Week supports the dialogue between the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition and China’s three AMEAs and aims to ensure consistent implementation in a robust enforcement environment.

  • China’s three Anti-Monopoly Enforcement Agencies include: the Ministry of Finance and Commerce (MOFCOM), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC). In addition to this, a session with the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) is foreseen in the 16th Competition Week.

  • The Competition Cooperation Project’s official WeChat account will be launched shortly. Through this WeChat account, you will receive all information related to the project and the activity.

AGENDA

Monday 19 April 2021

Subsidy cases under the Fair Competition Review System; European Commission and Member State interactions in State Aid cases

08:15-08:30: Registration / Virtual room open

08:30-08:55: Opening remarks

  • Mr Xu Lefu, Deputy Director General of the Anti-Monopoly Bureau, State Administration for Market Regulation
  • Mr Torben TOFT, Senior Expert, International Relations Unit, Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission

08:55-10:15: Session I – Revisions to the Implementation Rules of the Fair Competition Review System

Moderator: Ms Hilary JENNINGS, Special Adviser on Competition Policy, Competition Cooperation Project

Overview:

  • Progress with revisions to the Implementing Rules since Oct 2020
  • Challenges and solutions
  • Recent case studies on FCRS, including subsidy cases

Presentations by:

  • Mr XI Jinsong, Director, Fair Competition Review Division, Anti-Monopoly Bureau, STATE ADMINISTRATION FOR MARKET REGULATION

Q&A

10:15-11:30: Session II – Interactions between the European Commission and Member States in State aid cases

 Overview:

  • Framework for interaction between Member States and EU in the granting of aid – who does what
  • Experiences in practice
  • Challenges and lessons learned

Presentations by

  • Ms Graça DA COSTA, Senior Expert, State Aid Strategy, Directorate General for Competition, European Commission

Q&A

Monday 26 April 2021

Merger review in digital markets – recent experiences and addressing challenges in the EU and PRC

08:15-08:30: Registration/ Virtual room open 

08:35-11:15 Addressing challenges in competition enforcement and merger review in digital markets

Overview

  • Overview of recent mergers in the digital and related sectors
  • Practical challenges and what to focus on
  • Developing and assessing suitable remedies
  • Implications for policy review (e.g. European Commission Notice on Relevant Market)

Presentation by

  • Zhao Lili, Director of the Anti-Monopoly Bureau, STATE ADMINISTRATION FOR MARKET REGULATION
  • Mr Joao VAREDA, Member of Chief Economist’s Team, DG Competition, European Commission

Discussion session

Tuesday 27 April 2021

Regulation and policy initiatives to address competition concerns in digital markets – EU developments

08:15-08:30: Registration / Virtual room open

08:35-11:30 European initiatives to identify and address competition concerns in digital markets

Overview

  • Rationale and insights into new regulatory tools: e.g: the Digital Markets Act
  • Overview of recent antitrust enforcement actions / approaches / priorities for enforcement in digital markets
  • Challenges with evidence and analytical tools
  • Balance between enforcement and regulation
  • Interaction between EU and Member State regulatory initiatives

 

Presentations by

  • Ms Zsuzsa CSERHALMI, Case Handler, Antitrust: E-commerce and Data Economy, DG Competition

Q&A

  • Dr Sebastian WISMER, Head of Unit Digital Economy, German Federal Cartel Office

Q&A

Discussion

Wednesday 28 April 2021

Regulatory and policy initiatives to address competition concerns in digital markets – PRC Developments

08:15-08:30: Registration / Virtual room open

08:35-11:20 PRC initiatives to identify and address competition concerns in digital markets

Overview:

  • Rationale and insights into new regulatory tools and the interplay between different government tools: e.g. SAMR’s draft antitrust guidelines for platform operators, SAMR’s draft regulations governing online transactions, State Council’s platform pricing restrictions
  • Use of “commitment pledges” for big tech firms
  • Overview of recent antitrust enforcement actions / approaches / priorities for enforcement in digital markets
  • Challenges with evidence and analytical tools
  • Balance between enforcement and regulation

Presentations by

  • Ms Chen Qianting, Division of the Investigation of Abuse of Dominant Market Position, State Administration for Market Regulation

 Q&A

Discussion session with SAMR expert speakers, Ms Zsuzsa CSERHALMI (DG Competition) and Ms Barbara SCHULZE, Head of Unit International Competition Matters, German Federal Cartel Office.

[Including the potential for divergent approaches to regulation and enforcement across jurisdictions in this sector, and how to address such risks]

11:20 – 11:40 Closing remarks

  • Mr Torben TOFT, Senior Expert, International Relations Unit, Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
  • Ms Jin Jing, Anti-Monopoly Bureau, STATE ADMINISTRATION FOR MARKET REGULATION

PRESENTATIONS

Day 1 - 19 April 2021, Anti-Monopoly Bureau, State Administration for Market Regulation

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Day 2 - 26 April 2021, Anti-Monopoly Bureau, State Administration for Market Regulation

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Day 3 - 27 April 2021, Anti-Monopoly Bureau, State Administration for Market Regulation

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Day 4 - 28 April 2021, Anti-Monopoly Bureau, State Administration for Market Regulation

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