30 May 2022, Budapest – The joint training centre of the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) and the OECD organised a competition law seminar for judges from the European Union and Albania. The two-day course attracted court professionals from a total of 15 countries.

The Regional Centre for Competition, jointly operated by the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), hosted judges from the European region at a competition law seminar in Budapest. The training, which was opened by András Tóth, Vice‑ President of the GVH and Chairman of the Competition Council of the GVH, was attended by members of the judicial bodies from 14 Member States of the European Union and Albania as candidate country.

The two-day seminar focused on the fundamentals of EU competition law. Judges in the region could gain insight into the decision-making practices of competition authorities and the challenges faced by law enforcers arising from the digitalisation of the economy, among others from experts from the GVH, the European Commission, the OECD and the Court of Justice of the European Union. The presentations were complemented by interactive exercises, so that the participants could get answers to their professional questions during a joint analysis of hypothetical competition law cases.

“The training of judges in competition law is a priority for two reasons. On the one hand, it is a general requirement in Europe to ensure a full judicial review of competition authority decisions, which requires a complex interpretation of the law on the part of the judges. On the other hand, the guidance by the courts also affects how competition authorities enforce the public interest in competition. It is therefore important that judges have a comprehensive picture of EU practice and case law on the core principles of EU competition law." – said András Tóth, Vice‑ President of the GVH and Chairman of the Competition Council of the GVH.

Last week's seminar of the GVH and the OECD, within the framework of the regional training programme of the two organisations, was the first event of the two judicial trainings planned for this year. The training in Competition law, supported by the European Commission, will continue in the Hungarian capital in November.

Press Office of the GVH

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