On October 06, 2023, a new edition of the International Conference “PRIA COMPETITION MOLDOVA 2023” took place in Chisinau, Republic of MOLDOVA. Competition as a vital mechanism for the good functioning of the economy as well as the state of competition in the Republic of Moldova in the face of current challenges were among the main topics discussed during the event.


The conference organized by PRIA Events, in cooperation with the Competition Council of the Republic of Moldova, gathered under its aegis representatives of the European Commission’s Directorate-General Competition (DG Comp) – Mr. Alexander WINTERSTEIN and Ms Kalypso THOMOPOULOU, President of the Competition Council of Romania, Mr. Bogdan CHIRIÅ¢OIU, as well as representatives of the business community of Moldova, with “ACI Partners” as the main partners of the event.


One of the key topics of the event was the presentation of the new provisions of the Competition Law no. 183/2012, effective as of 18 September 2023. In this context, the President of the Competition Council of the Republic of Moldova, Alexei GHERTESCU, stressed in his speech on the importance of these legislative amendments and of the process of harmonizing the competition rules to the EU acquis, as well as the implementation of best practices in this field in the activity of the competition authority of Moldova.


The emphasis was also on the leniency policy and the liability recognition mechanisms, the ways in which companies can use various legal instruments related to complaints filed with the Competition Council, judicial proceedings, as well as the issues related to the state aid legislation and its effective implementation, etc.


Mr. Alexander Winterstein from DG Comp provided a comprehensive overview of the European Commission’s efforts in the areas of competition and state aid highlighting key achievements in 2022 and addressing the main challenges for the Commission and national competition authorities in the EU. The presented perspectives resonate with Moldova’s aspirations to join the European Union (knowing that more work is still needed in terms of legislative alignment), demonstrating how and to what extent the Commission’s activities could serve as a relevant model for the competition authority of the Republic of Moldova.


In the same vein, the President of the Romanian Competition Council, Mr. Bogdan CHIRIÅ¢OIU, contributed to the event and the topics discussed presenting Romania’s experience and perspective in the application of competitive legislation, with the focus on current trends, applicability of various instrument in times of crisis and a constructive dialog with the business community.


Other presentations covered various topics related to competition policies: state aid and its relevance for market participants, increasing efficiency in the activity of the Competition.