Printable version in PDF

Announcement of the Hungarian Competition Authority

Opening conference of the Budapest Regional Centre for Competition of the OECD

On 26 September 2005 the opening conference of the Budapest Regional Centre for Competition, jointly founded by the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) and the OECD, was held in the Petőfi Literature Museum under the title `Competition policy and growth - competition as the main drive of competitiveness and economic development in a dynamic economy`. The opening speech of the Prime Minister was followed by presentations of several experts from Hungary and abroad.

On 16 February 2005, the Gazdasági Versenyhivatal and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have signed an agreement on the creation of the Budapest Regional Centre for Competition of OECD with the financial support of the Hungarian government. Based on the professional background of the two founding institutions, the Regional Centre provides assistance especially to the competition authorities of Central, East and South-East European countries through the organisation of training and professional programmes. The principal aim followed at the foundation of the Budapest Regional Centre was to advance competition policy, competition law and competition culture as well as to promote the work of competition authorities - contributing in this way to the improvement of competition and to the economic growth. The staff of the Centre accomplishes this aim through professional programmes. The Budapest Regional Centre for Competition has launched its special activity already in February 2005 and during the half year passed its events contributed to the development of the competition culture in the target countries and to the provision of assistance to the work of the competition authorities.

The conference was opened by the Prime Minister, then OECD Deputy Secretary General Richard Hecklinger gave an introductory presentation. In the professional programme papers were presented by the experts of the OECD and of the Competition Directorate General of the European Commission as well as by outstanding domestic professionals. To be heard were a. o. OECD Competition Committee Chairman Frédéric Jenny, a member of the French Cour de Cassation, Lars-Hendrik Röller, Chief Economist of the Competition Directorate General and professor Attila Chikán. The topics brought up in the conference, such as relations of competition policy, competitiveness and growth, are actual both at home and for the experts arrived from target countries. However, this single day was sufficient only to lay the foundations; workshops, seminars and conferences will follow to explain the details.

Budapest, 26 September 2005

dr. Anita HORVÁTH
press officer
Further information can be obtained from:
dr. Anita HORVÁTH
Press Officer of the Hungarian Competition Authority
Address: Budapest, 1054 Alkotmány u. 5., Hungary
Mailing address: 1245 Budapest 5. POB. 1036, Hungary
Tel: (+36-1)-4728966
Mobile: (+36-30)-9708191
Email: ORVATH.Anita@gvh.hu
http://www.gvh.hu