Competition Bureau Hosting International Cartel Workshop

OTTAWA, November 26, 2001 — Competition officials from 26 countries are meeting in Ottawa this week at an international cartels workshop hosted by the Competition Bureau to share expertise on investigating and prosecuting worldwide conspiracies.

"Anti-competitive behaviour knows no boundaries. This means international cartels pose a growing threat to consumers around the world," said Konrad von Finckenstein, the Commissioner of Competition. "This workshop will let participants discuss their work and share information on investigative tools and best practices to better deal with worldwide cartels."

The workshop runs from November 25-27 and will focus on such topics as the immunity programs of various countries, mechanisms for enhancing information sharing between jurisdictions and the effectiveness of specific investigative tools in building cartel cases. The Bureau expects that more than 100 law enforcement officials and government employees from Canada and abroad will attend the conference. Canada joins previous hosts the United States and the United Kingdom as the third country to sponsor the event.

Since 1980, the Bureau has been increasingly active in the enforcement of international cartel activities. During this time it has brought 56 conspiracy cases before the courts, leading to fines totalling more than $165 million. Eighty per cent of these fines occurred within the last two years, as several large multinationals pleaded guilty for their implication in global conspiracies involving vitamins, graphite electrodes and foods additives. Cartels generally drive up prices for consumers by about 10%.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that promotes and maintains fair competition so that all Canadians can benefit from competitive prices, product choice and quality service. It oversees the application of the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Textile Labelling Act and the Precious Metals Marking Act.

For general public enquiries, please contact:
Competition Bureau's Information Center
1-800-348-5358

For media enquiries, please contact:
Maureen McGrath
Senior Communications Advisor
Communications Branch
819-953-8982 or 613-296-2187 (cell.)