The CPLG recognizes the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 of building an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040. To this end, the CPLG is committed to realizing the following objectives, so as to contribute to the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 and the Aotearoa Plan of Action:
- Promote understanding of regional competition laws and policies with the view to facilitating APEC activities
- Identify areas for technical cooperation and capacity building among APEC member economies
- Promote exchanges and cooperation among competition agencies of member economies on competition policies and competition law enforcement, in order to formalize annual updates, facilitate contacts and monitor emerging issues
- Contribute to the work of the Economic Committee (in particular, the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform)
CPLG’s activities include:
- Sharing information on developments on competition laws and policies in APEC member economies and identifying best practices
- Providing information to the public on the competition laws and policies and other relevant information for each APEC Member Economy through the APEC Competition Policy and Law Database
- Conducting policy dialogues, workshops and producing publications on existing and emerging issues relating to competition policies and competition law and enforcement
- Conducting technical cooperation and capacity building activities for APEC member economies
- Engaging in cross-fora collaboration and with relevant stakeholders, including ABAC and other international organizations
Last page update: April 2023
Contacts
CPLG Convenor
Program Director
Current Activities
In 2023 CPLG will focus on the following priorities:
- Supporting Strong, Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Economic Recovery through individual and collective initiatives for focused, refined, or evolved applications of competition policy and law that seek to: 1) remove barriers to participation in the global value chain by MSMEs, women, marginalized groups, indigenous or rural communities, and those with untapped economic potential; and 2) foster technological advancements and equitable access and adoption.
- Laying the Foundation for Productive, Inclusive, and Competitive Digital Economy by: 1) continuing to build capacity on competition assessment and enforcement in the digital economy; and 2) advocating for pro-competitive and internationally aligned digital economy regulations and development policies that lay the groundwork for open, transparent, competitive, innovative, and inclusive domestic and international digital markets.
- Facilitating Competitive Regional Trade and Investment Environment by deepening international cooperation between competition authorities especially under the context of the interconnected and digitalized economy and increasing
understanding of the implications of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on domestic and international markets and the importance of competition chapters in FTAs.
- Deepening Cooperation for Competitive Markets with other domestic regulators, government agencies, and relevant international organisations.
The CPLG held its most recent meeting 20 February 2023, hosted by the United States. APEC member economies engaged in policy dialogues on: 1) the APEC Economic Committee and CPLG synergies, including on how CPLG can contribute to the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform; 2) the 2022 APEC Economic Policy Report (AEPR) and the CPLG: challenges, recommendations, and opportunities; and 3) enhancing international cooperation on competition. Members also provided updates on developments in their respective competition policies and laws, including recent case examples; and provided updates on the ongoing CPLG workshops and capacity building projects.
Recent Capacity Building Projects
Capacity-Building Workshop on Effective and Efficient Competition Litigation and Regulatory Advocacy
A Capacity-Building Workshop on Effective and Efficient Competition Litigation and Regulatory Advocacy was held on 21-22 February 2023 and led by the United States. The objectives were to enhance competition agencies’ enforcement capacity and enhance the understanding of strategies for effective and efficient competition litigation, regulatory advocacy, and agency resource prioritization and management.
Workshop on Competition Policy and Sustainable Development
A workshop on Competition Policy and Sustainable Development, led by Thailand was held in Bangkok (and online) on 9 November 2022. The workshop explored the intersection between sustainable development and competition policy. The project identified obstacles and best practices in aligning competition policy to support sustainable development.
Workshop: Competition Policy - A Driver for Economic Recovery
A Capacity-Building Workshop on Effective and Efficient Competition Litigation and Regulatory Advocacy, led by Mexico, took place virtually on 12-13 October 2022. Officials from competition agencies of Asia-Pacific shared their experiences on the following areas: 1) advocacy efforts to support governments in the design, implementation and withdrawal of government support strategies required in the short-run; 2) the use of enforcement powers to address anticompetitive agreements, exclusionary abuses, and excessive pricing in strategic sectors affected by the pandemic; 3) how competition authorities have addressed the challenges posed by economic uncertainty in enforcing their merger control powers; and 4) investments they have made to increase their expertise and data collection capabilities on crisis-affected sectors. The resulting report presents policy and best practice recommendations that could be implemented by APEC economies.
Competition Law and Regulation in Digital Markets
The CPLG hosted a workshop led by New Zealand on competition law and regulation in digital markets on 7 and 9 September 2021. The event helped develop a better understanding of the interplay between competition law, consumer protection, privacy and personal data protection when considering issues relating to digital platforms and the digital economy. It also helped increase understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the digital economy, the economic opportunities presented for growth, and the challenges for competition and regulatory agencies. Refer to the report for the detailed recommendations.
Background
The CPLG, formerly known as Competition Policy and Deregulation Group, was established in 1996, when the Osaka Action Agenda (OAA) work programs on competition policy and deregulation were combined. In 1999, APEC Ministers endorsed the APEC Principles to Enhance Competition and Regulatory Reform and approved a road map which established the basis for subsequent work on strengthening markets in the region. In 2008, APEC members agreed to change the name of the group to the Competition Policy and Law Group to reflect the fact that regulatory aspects of competition are now being discussed within the framework of the Economic Committee.
The CPLG is established as a group under the APEC Economic Committee. The CPLG meets annually and comprises officials from agencies that cover competition law enforcement or competition policy in all APEC member economies.