Competition Enforcement Models in the Western Balkans Countries – The Rule of Law Still Terra Incognita?

• Authors: Dijana Marković-Bajalović

Abstracts

FR

Le modèle administratif d’application du droit de la concurrence est le modèle qui prévaut dans les États membres de l’UE. Bien que les États membres puissant choisir entre le modèle administratif et le modèle judiciaire ou leur combinaison, nombreux sont ceux qui ont opté pour le modèle administratif en prenant le modèle de l’UE comme modèle. La même remarque vaut pour les pays candidats des Balkans occidentaux. La directive 2019/1 traite la question de la sauvegarde des droits fondamentaux dans les procédures de concurrence en termes généraux seulement, tandis que les accords de stabilisation et d’association posent l’État de droit comme principe fondamental, sans toutefois en préciser les caractéristiques du modèle d’application des règles de concurrence. Les pays candidats n’ont pas tenu compte des exigences de l’État de droit lors de la conception de leurs modèles d’application des règles de concurrence. Les autorités de concurrence combinent des pouvoirs d’enquête et de décision, les empêchant ainsi de prendre des decisions impartiales. Les règles de nomination, c’est-à-dire de l’élection des membres des organes de décision, et la durée limitée du mandat, ont rendu les autorités de la concurrence sensibles à l’influence politique. Les tribunaux administratifs sont en charge des procédures engagées contre les décisions des autorités de la concurrence en deuxième instance. Les limites imposées à l’application des procédures de pleine juridiction et la modeste expertise des juges administratifs en matière de droit de la concurrence ne permettent pas aux tribunaux de traiter au fond les affaires de concurrence. Il manque donc un contrôle juridictionnel efficace des décisions des autorités de concurrence. En conclusion, la Commission européenne devrait vérifier le respect des principes juridiques fondamentaux en matière d’application du droit de la concurrence lorsqu’elle évalue l’état de préparation des pays candidats à l’adhésion à l’UE.

EN

The administrative model of competition law enforcement is the prevailing model in the EU Member States. Although Member States are free to choose between the administrative and the judicial model or their combination, many of them opted for the administrative model taking the EU model as an example. The same is valid for the candidate and potential candidate states of Western Balkans. The new Directive 2019/1 deals with the issue of safeguarding the fundamental rights in competition proceedings in general terms only, while stabilisation and association agreements lay down the rule of law as a fundamental principle, but do not say much regarding the features of the competition enforcement model. Candidate countries did not consider the rule of law requirements when designing their competition enforcement models. Competition authorities combine investigative and decision-making powers, preventing them from impartial decision-making. Rules on the appointment, that is, election of members of decision-making bodies, and the limited term of office, made competition authorities susceptible to political influence. Administrative courts are in charge of disputes initiated against decisions of competition authorities in the second instance. Limitations on applying full jurisdiction proceedings, and the modest expertise of administrative law judges in competition law, prevent courts from dealing with the merits of competition cases. Hence, effective judicial control of decisions of competition authorities is missing. The European Commission should monitor the observance of fundamental legal principles in competition law enforcement when assessing the readiness of candidate states to join the EU.

Keywords

EN

competition enforcement models; the administrative model of; competition enforcement; Directive 2019/1; stabilisation and association agreement; Western Balkan countries; the rule of law

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Warszawski. Wydział Nauk Ekonomicznych
• Journal: Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies
• Year: 2020
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 22
• Pages: 27-66

Dates

published

2020

Contributors

author

Dijana Marković-Bajalović

• University of East Sarajevo; Law Faculty

• https://orcid.org/0000000168871310

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Identifiers

DOI

10.7172/1689-9024.YARS.2020.13.22.2

Biblioteka Nauki

2159030