Last year we underlined the “Salutary Effect of the Romanian Competition Council’s Annual Conference, October 30, 2024” (https://www.crd-aida.ro/2024/10/salutary-effect-of-the-romanian-competition-councils-annual-conference-october-30-2024/). It is well known that companies are encouraged by the competition policy (both efficiency and innovation being encouraged by it) to offer consumers goods and services on the most favorable terms (https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/index_en). There is no doubt that the competition policy protects consumers’ interests (https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/about/what-competition-policy_en), EU competition rules’ enforcement ensuring equally and fairly competition for all companies (https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/competition_en#leadership). Also, as a well-known autonomous administrative body, the Romanian Competition Council plays a significant role by having both a corrective dimension (the normal competitive environment being restored and maintained), and a preventive dimension (the relevant markets  being monitored and the behavior of the actors participating in these markets being observed), so as to protect consumers’ interests (https://www.consiliulconcurentei.ro/en/).

On April 8, 2025 the Romanian Competition Council (https://www.consiliulconcurentei.ro/en/about-us/plenum-members/) launched – within the context of the Conference “Competition: innovative solutions in the regulatory framework” – its Annual Report. This special event took place in the Aula Magna of the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (https://en.ase.ro/index_en.asp?page=board_members), being organized together with the Faculty of Law (https://drept.ase.ro/conducere-dreptase/) of the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (ASE). The new Romanian Competition Council’s Annual Report reconfirmed the accumulated experience, the constant refining of working practices and delivery of decisions in a timelier manner without reducing quality, by tackling competition problems and encouraging compliance, and also continuing to stimulate the strategic dialogue (developed this time under the dome of the historical Aula Magna of ASE) about what did help to deliver better results, building on delivering for consumers.

Conference opening speeches were delivered by: the Vice-Rector of ASE Paul Pocatilu; the Acting President of the Senate, the Parliament of Romania, Mircea Abrudean; the Executive President of eMAG Iulian Stanciu; the President of the Romanian Competition Council Bogdan M. CHIRIȚOIU. The conference agenda included essential topics such as: the impact of competition in our economy, the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in our country, and partnerships with national authorities and academia, in order to stimulate research. Within this special context, the issue of the competition in digital markets was also addressed, given the rapid developments in technology and their impact on market structure and consumer behaviors (https://www.consiliulconcurentei.ro/eveniment/conferinta-concurenta-solutii-inovative-in-cadrul-de-reglementare-8-aprilie-2025-bucuresti/).

It is worth mentioning that on March 24, 2025 two weeks before the above-mentioned Romanian Competition Council’s Annual Activity Report launch, the meeting of the Advisory Board of the Romanian Competition Council (in the plenary hall) took place.  It is well-known that the meetings of the Advisory Board of the Romanian Competition Council are a traditional opportunity to share ideas on competition policy and to receive feedback on these ideas and policy visions within the strong commitment of promoting the competition culture in full process of the effective implementation of the competition policy. This new meeting of March 24, 2025 proved to be again a pragmatic exchange of views carried out between, on one hand, the President of the Romanian Competition Council (RCC) Bogdan M. Chiritoiu and the other members of the RCC Board and, on the other hand, the majority of the Advisory Board of the Romanian Competition Council. Also, this was again a good time to reflect on progress made toward building a sound institutional framework, in designing effective competition regime, in enforcing the competition law and also looking on the windows of opportunity provided for an in-depth substantive European and global conversation on competition policy and acting accordingly. Competition policy approach in the present context it is supposed to consider both national objectives (competitive markets; consumers’ protection), and current international challenges.