A competition regulator is the institution that oversees the functioning of markets. It identifies and corrects practices causing market impediments and distortions through competition law (also known as antitrust law). In general it is a government agency, typically a statutory authority, sometimes called an economic regulator, that regulates and enforces competition laws and may sometimes also enforce consumer protection laws. In addition to such agencies, there is often another body responsible for formulating competition policy.

Many nations implement competition laws, and there is general agreement on acceptable standards of behaviour. The degree to which countries enforce their competition policy varies substantially.

Competition regulators may also regulate certain aspects of mergers and acquisitions and business alliances and regulate or prohibit cartels and monopolies. Other government agencies may have responsibilities in relation to aspects of competition law that affect companies (e.g., the registrar of companies).

Regulators may form supranational or international alliances like the ECN (European Competition Network), the ICN (International Competition Network), and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).

List of trade blocs and multinational regulators

FlagTrade blocRegulating organizationECAICNOECDWebsiteLanguageCommon Market for Eastern and Southern AfricaCOMESA Competition CommissionEnglishCommunidad Andina (Andean Community of Nations)SpanishEast African CommunityEast African Community Competition AuthorityEnglishECOWASECOWAS Regional Competition AuthorityEnglish, French, PortugueseEuropean Union /European Economic AreaEuropean Commission – Directorate-General for Competition See: Official languages of the European UnionEuropean Economic Area: Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein (EFTA members)EFTA Surveillance AuthorityEnglish

List of national regulators

FlagCountryNameECAICNOECDWebsiteLanguageAlbaniaCompetition AuthorityAlbanian, EnglishAlgeriaThe Algerian National Competition CouncilArabic, FrenchArgentina Comision Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia SpanishArmenia State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of Armenia Armenian, EnglishAustraliaAustralian Competition & Consumer Commission EnglishAustriaWettbewerbsbehörde im BMwAGerman, EnglishAzerbaijan State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control Azerbaijani, EnglishBangladeshBangladesh Competition Commission Bangla, EnglishBarbadosFair Trading CommissionEnglishBelgiumRaad voor de Mededinging/Conseil de la concurrenceFrench/DutchBrazilAdministrative Council for Economic DefensePortugueseBulgariaCommission for Protection of CompetitionBulgarian/EnglishCanadaCompetition Bureau/Bureau de la concurrence, English/FrenchChileTribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia -National Economic Prosecutor's OfficeSpanishChinaState Administration for Market RegulationChineseColombiaSuperintendency of Industry and Commerce SpanishCroatiaCroatian Competition AgencyCroatian, EnglishCuraçaoFair Trade Authority CuraçaoX[@]English, Dutch, PapiamentuCyprusCommission for the Protection of CompetitionGreek, EnglishCzech RepublicOffice for the Protection of CompetitionCzech, EnglishDenmarkKonkurrencestyrelsenDanish, EnglishEl Salvador Superintendencia de Competencia SpanishEstoniaKonkurentsiamet (Estonian Competition Authority)Estonian, EnglishFinlandFinnish Competition and Consumer Authority (Kilpailuvirasto)Finnish, Swedish, EnglishFranceAutorité de la concurrenceFrenchGeorgiaCompetition Agency Georgian, EnglishGermanyBundeskartellamtGermanGreeceHellenic Competition CommissionGreek, EnglishHong KongCompetition CommissionCantonese/EnglishHungaryOffice of Economic Competition (Gazdasági Versenyhivatal)Hungarian, EnglishIndiaCompetition Commission of IndiaEnglishIndonesiaCommission for Supervision of Business Competition, (Komisi Pengawas Persaingan Usaha),Indonesian, EnglishIrelandCompetition and Consumer Protection CommissionEnglish, IrishIcelandIcelandic Competition AuthorityIcelandic, EnglishIranNational Iranian Competition Center (NICC)PersianIsraelIsrael Anti-trust AuthorityHebrew, EnglishItalyAutorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)Italian, EnglishJapanJapan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC)Japanese, EnglishJerseyJersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA)EnglishJordanCompetition Directorate at the Ministry of Industry and TradeArabic, EnglishKazakhstanAgency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation of Natural Monopolies and Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Competition Protection (Antimonopoly Agency) Kazakh, EnglishKenyaCompetition Authority of KenyaEnglishKosovo Kosovo Competition CommissionEnglish, Albanian, SerbianLatviaCompetition Council of Latvia (Konkurences padome)Latvian, EnglishLiechtensteinOffice of National Economy (Amt für Volkswirtschaft)GermanLithuaniaCompetition Council (Konkurencijos taryba)Lithuanian, EnglishLuxembourgConseil de la concurrence - Inspection de la ConcurrenceFrenchMalaysiaMalaysia Competition CommissionEnglishMaltaMalta Competition and Consumer Affairs AuthorityEnglishMexicoMexican Federal Competition CommissionSpanish, EnglishMoroccoCompetition Council of MoroccoArabic, FrenchRepublic of MoldovaConsiliul Concurenței (Competition Council)Romanian, EnglishNetherlandsAutoriteit Consument & MarktDutch, EnglishNew ZealandMinistry of Commerce: Competition and Enterprise Branch and New Zealand Commerce CommissionEnglish, MāoriNigeriaFederal Competition and Consumer Protection CommissionEnglishNorth Macedonia Commission for Protection of Competition (Комисијата за заштита на конкуренцијата)Macedonian, EnglishNorwayKonkurransetilsynetNorwegian, EnglishPakistanCompetition Commission of PakistanUrduPeruFree Competition CommissionSpanishPhilippinesPhilippine Competition CommissionEnglishPolandOffice for Competition and Consumer Protection (Urząd Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów)Polish, EnglishPortugalAutoridade da ConcorrênciaEnglish, PortugueseRomaniaConsiliul Concurenței (Competition Council) Romanian, EnglishRussiaFederal Antimonopoly Service of Russia Russian, EnglishSingaporeCompetition and Consumer Commission of Singapore EnglishSlovakiaAntimonopoly OfficeSlovak, EnglishSloveniaSlovenian Competition Protection AgencySlovenian, EnglishSouth AfricaCompetition Commission, South African Competition Tribunal EnglishSouth KoreaFair Trade CommissionKorean, EnglishSpainComisión Nacional de la Competencia (CNC) before September 2007 Tribunal de Defensa de la Competencia (TDC) SpanishSwedenKonkurrensverketSwedish, EnglishSwitzerlandThe Competition Council and Competition Commission (COMCO)German, French, ItalianTaiwanFair Trade CommissionMandarin, EnglishThailandTrade Competition CommissionThai, EnglishTurkeyRekabet KurumuTurkish, EnglishUkraineAnti-Monopoly CommitteeUkrainian, EnglishUnited KingdomCompetition and Markets AuthorityEnglishUnited StatesFederal Trade Commission & United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division EnglishVenezuelaPro-CompetenciaSpanish

See also Consumer protection Transparency (market) Transparency (humanities)

References

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