Between 19 and 23 May 2025, representatives of the Competition Council held discussions with World Bank experts and participated in a series of training sessions within the framework of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Competitiveness Project. This project is supported by the Moldova Resilience and Growth Opportunity for Well-being (M-GROW) Multi-Donor Trust Fund, administered by the World Bank Group. M-GROW’s founding partners include Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, who have jointly contributed to the fund.

The Council’s staff benefited from specialized support aimed at strengthening internal capacities in the areas of competition policy and economic analysis. Activities began with a meeting between the President of the Competition Council, Mr. Alexei Gherțescu, and the World Bank team on 19 May. The discussions focused on updating indicators that measure the extent to which regulations support or restrict competition in key sectors of the economy. The expert team presented data collected on competition promotion, digital regulation, and state-owned enterprises, while the Council’s experts validated the findings and provided practical feedback.

On the same day, the Council’s team participated in a practical training session led by expert Sara Nyman, who presented the World Bank’s Markets and Competition Policy Assessment Tool, along with methods for economic analysis applied in competition enforcement. The aim was to enhance institutional capacity for case prioritisation and assessment, as well as for the effective investigation of anticompetitive practices.

Between 21 and 23 May, the Council’s staff took part in an intensive practical training programme focused on the investigation of infringements of competition law. The workshop included group-based exercises—from the analysis of a hypothetical complaint and the drafting of an investigation plan, to the use of various evidence-gathering techniques, including the simulation of dawn raids and hearings with involved parties. Participants had the opportunity to practice enforcement methods used in the investigation of anticompetitive agreements and receive direct feedback from international experts.