On 14 March, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) and the International Competition Network (ICN) hosted the closing ceremony of the 11th ICN Unilateral Conduct Workshop, an event that gathered antitrust authorities and specialists from 33 countries, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.

During the three-day event, the participants discussed current topics and shared experiences on unilateral conducts, the abusive practices adopted by companies in a dominant position in the market. 

On the first day of event (https://www.gov.br/cade/en/matters/news/icn-workshop-discusses-unilateral-conducts-in-brazil) specialists discussed unilateral conducts in digital markets, the challenges of these practices, as well as competition defence, conditional rebates, self-preferencing, and exclusionary abuses. 

On the second day, Mr Diogo Thomson, commissioner at CADE, participated in the round table on “Remedies and Sanctions in Unilateral Conduct”. Mr Felipe Roquete, assistant superintendent at CADE, collaborated with the debate on “Data as a Competitive Parameter: Unilateral Conduct in Data-Driven Markets”. Also, Mr André Freire, attorney general at CADE, discussed his area of expertise “Standard and Burden of Proof in Relation to Exclusionary Abuses”. 

On the last day, Ms Camila Alves, commissioner at CADE, moderated the special session on “Digital Economy Regulation”. Ms Katharina Krauß, chair of the 7th Decision Devision in the Federal Cartel Office of Germany, and Mr Alexandre Rebêlo, director of the programme of the Secretaria de Reformas Econômicas of the Ministry of Finance, participated in the discussion. The panel had discussions on challenges and possibilities of regulation in this sector that plays an increasingly strategic role in global economy. 

According to Ms Carolina Helena, coordinator-general in the Antitrust Analysis Unit 11 (CGAA 11), exchanging experiences in different jurisdictions are fundamental elements for advances in competition law. 

“The exchange of experiences and spread of knowledge are the pillars of ICN, as well as one of the reasons why CADE prioritises an active performance in several working groups of the network. The debates provided by the organisation have been essential for the recent progress of the Brazilian competition policy”, she highlighted. 

After the closing panel, CADE reaffirmed its commitment with antitrust policies and international cooperation. CADE’s active performance in global discussions reinforces its role on modernising competition defence in Brazil, ensuring more legal certainty and efficiency in the regulation of markets exponentially dynamic and innovative.