U.S. Chamber and BUSINESSEUROPE Host Forum in Support of Procedural Fairness in Competition Cases

Ensuring Fair Play Depends on Defining Fair Practice

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM—This week the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and BUSINESSSEUROPE will host the first joint event on competition policy to highlight both organizations' pledge to work with international forums toward the development of best practices for providing due process. The forum will also look at procedural fairness in antitrust investigations and competition cases.

"Businesses need competition authorities to ensure markets are competitive and companies are able to compete fairly," said Sean Heather, executive director of the U.S. Chamber's Global Regulatory Cooperation Project. "However, a high standard of due process ensures the credibility of the enforcement authority as well as safeguards any merging party or target of investigation from unfair scrutiny."

The international business community is increasingly concerned with due process issues such as transparency, evidentiary matters, separation of powers, and the appeals process. "With more than 100 authorities in nearly as many countries getting a standard for procedural review in competition cases is as important as coming to an agreement over substantive matters," Heather said.

The Director General of BUSINESSEUROPE Philippe de Buck—the Chamber's transatlantic partner and co-host of the forum—added, "We are pleased that the forum will raise these critical issues at such an important time."

The Global Regulatory Cooperation Project seeks to align trade, regulatory, and competition policy in support of open and competitive markets.

BUSINESSEUROPE is Europe's largest business federations representing 40 national business associations from 34 countries across Europe.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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