The Competition Council of the Republic of Moldova participated in the third edition of the “Competition UPgrade” workshop, held in Chișinău on 11 June 2025 and organized by the European Business Association (EBA) Moldova. The event, held under the theme “Practical Aspects of the Application of Competition Law in the Republic of Moldova and the EU,” brought together competition authorities from the Republic of Moldova and Romania, legal and economic experts, as well as representatives of the business community.

During the sessions, representatives of the Competition Council addressed topics related to the alignment of national legislation with EU rules, anticompetitive risks in vertical commercial relationships, and the importance of fostering a genuine compliance culture among companies.

In his speech, the President of the Competition Council, Alexei Gherțescu, spoke about the challenges and opportunities of the process of harmonising competition legislation with European Union rules, highlighting the importance of transposing the EU acquis and strengthening national enforcement mechanisms.

“We are currently working on amending the Competition Law — a necessary step towards harmonising national legislation with EU rules. The new provisions will bring greater clarity for the business community, reduce administrative burdens in certain procedures, and allow for more effective intervention in cases of competition law infringements. Our objective is a legislative framework aligned with EU standards, yet adapted to the realities of the Moldovan market,” stated Alexei Gherțescu.

Subsequently, during the session dedicated to distributor–retailer relations, representatives of the Competition Council contributed to a discussion on the anticompetitive risks associated with pricing policies. They provided practical examples from the authority’s enforcement activity and explained how companies can avoid infringing competition law by carefully assessing contractual clauses and commercial practices used throughout the distribution chain.

Among the speakers at this edition were also representatives of the Romanian competition authority, as well as legal and economic experts from the Republic of Moldova, who addressed topics such as merger control, compliance programmes, and the interplay between competition law and economics.