The Commerce Commission has signed a multilateral assistance and co-operation framework to enhance international cooperation on competition enforcement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Competition Bureau of the Government of Canada, the United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority, the United States Department of Justice and the United States Federal Trade Commission.
The Multilateral Mutual Assistance and Cooperation Framework for Competition Authorities will support coordinated and informal cooperation and assistance between its signatories, including cooperation on investigations, work on joint projects and inter-agency training initiatives. The framework includes a template that the agencies can use to establish cooperation arrangements focussed on investigative assistance such as the secure sharing of investigative information and cross-border evidence gathering.
"The Commission is pleased to be strengthening its relationships with these agencies and enhancing its ability to identify and investigate conduct affecting markets in New Zealand in an increasingly digital and global economy," Commerce Commission Chair Anna Rawlings said.
"The framework supports the Commission's ongoing prioritisation of connecting and maintaining relationships with international agencies and ensuring information sharing arrangements provide appropriate controls to maintain public trust and confidence in the regulatory system," said Ms Rawlings.
Background
The Commission has existing cooperation arrangements in place with a number of domestic and international agencies across its functions.
To support cross-border enforcement and promote sound competition policies internationally, the Commission also participates in other competition fora, such as the International Competition Network and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Competition Committee.
