- Discussion of law enforcement, case handling, investigation procedures, etc. on tying -
The Fair Trade Commission will hold a competition policy research meeting jointly with the Directorate-General for Competition Bureau for two days from November 16 (Thu) to 17 (Fri). The Korea-EU Competition Policy Research Group has been held every year since 2019 as part of a cooperation project between Korean and EU competition authorities, and this year, it will be held in a non-face-to-face manner. At this research meeting, the two competition authorities will discuss legal issues related to 'pulling and selling' and the law enforcement procedures of both authorities.
On the first day (11.16), the two competition authorities will explain the mutual regulatory system for tying and share their experience in law enforcement under the theme of "The Evaluation Method and Corrective Measures of tying in Cases of Abuse of Market Dominant Status." The FTC will explain the regulations on tying under the Fair Trade Act and share cases such as the Qualcomm case and the GTT case, where tying has been discussed as a major issue.
In addition, the EU Competition Directorate will introduce tying regulations in the EU EU Directorate-General for Competition, and announce market definitions and market power judgment methods, focusing on cases in which the EU EU Directorate-General for Competition sanctioned Google's abuse of its dominant position in the general Internet search market in 2018.
On the second day (11.17), they will explain the law enforcement procedures of both sides under the theme of "Efforts to strengthen the investigation capabilities of case handling, investigation procedures, and competition authorities" and introduce recent efforts to strengthen the organization's capabilities. The FTC will announce various recent efforts to improve the law enforcement system, including rational improvement of case handling procedures and standards, investigation and deliberation systems, and establishment of a quick case handling system, which was carried out along with a major reorganization earlier this year.
In addition, the EU Competition Bureau will explain the process of handling cases, including investigations, in the enforcement of the EU's competition law, and announce the EU Commission's efforts to ensure transparency and fairness of the process.
The FTC plans to continue discussing major competition issues through research groups with the EU's General Bureau of Competition and strengthen cooperation between Korea and EU competition authorities to enhance the international effectiveness of competition law enforcement.