New committee to modernize the Competition Act
`We want a full review of how the regulations can be modernized, ‘says Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries Cecilie Myrseth. NHH researcher Linda Orvedal has joined the new committee.
It has been 20 years since the Competition Act came into force, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries is seeking modernization. The Competition Act needs to keep pace with societal developments. Therefore, the ministry has established an expert committee consisting of several legal and economic professionals.
One of the members is Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, Linda Orvedal.
Increased digitalization has led to significant changes in Norway's economy and business structures, and the cases handled by the competition authorities are more complex and extensive than before, according to a press release from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries.
The committee will conduct a comprehensive review of the law, aiming to simplify the regulations and modernize them considering developments in case law, in the EU/EEA, and societal changes in general.
There are certain topics the committee is specifically asked to consider:
- Assess the purpose of the law in light of competition policy developments.
- Consider the need for legal changes to address specific societal concerns in merger control.
- Evaluate the work of the Competition Appeals Board and assess whether changes are needed in the appeals process.
- Consider the need for changes in the procedural rules of the Competition Authority, as well as potential changes to the sanction’s regulations and the regulatory authority in §14 of the Competition Act.
- Assess the potential consequences of the committee's proposed changes for the market investigation proposal.
The committee is scheduled to submit its work in the form of a public report (NOU) to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries by December 1, 2025