Competition Bureau Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Statistical Data — Annual Report 2000/2001

Bureau Operations

In 2000-2001, the operating budget for the Bureau was $26.5 million including carryforward. In addition, $3.321 million in supplementary estimates was provided for additional operational requirements. The Bureau also generated $8.5 million in fees of which $7.5M was accessible by the Bureau. A major portion of the budget, $22.3 million was allocated to salaries for 383 authorized full time staff, consisting of 24 executives, 13 economists, 223 commerce officers, and 123 employees carrying out informatics, administrative services and support functions.

During 2000-2001, $18,735,000 in fines was imposed.

Table 1: Selected activities of the Competition Bureau
  1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001

Number of complaints, examinations, inquiries and advisory opinions

Total complaints/information requests

6,939

10,009

13,803

16,570

Examinations (two or more days of review)

870 601

655

711

Applications for inquiries under section 9

11 11 13 8

Inquiries in progress at year end

40 48 48 35

Written advisory opinions

235 75 51 40

Disposition of inquiries

Inquiries formally discontinued 29 21 18 11
Matters referred to the Attorney General of Canada 8 8 12 14
Matters referred where further action is not warranted 2 0 1 0

Prosecutions or other proceedings commenced

6 8 9 14
Applications to the Competition Tribunal 8 5 4 6

-Mergers

4 5 3 3

-Other reviewable practices

4 0 1 3
Representatives before regulatory bodies 14 15 7 13

 

Table 2 – Civil Matters – selected activities
  1997-1998

1998-1999

1999-2000

2000-2001

Number of complaints, examinations and inquiries

Total complaints/information contacts 503 819 613 618
Examinations commenced (two or more days of review) 41 29 43 43

Applications for inquiries under section 9
(six resident application to the Commissioner for inquiry)

3 4 5 4
Inquiries in progress at year end 5 8 10 11
Written advisory opinions 0 0 0 3

Disposition of inquiries

Inquiries resolved by alternative case resolution 4 3 5 3
Applications to the Competition Tribunal 4 0 0 1
Discontinuances 11 6 5 6

Interventions

CRTC 9 8 2 4
Provincial 3 5 3 3
CITT 2 1 1 3
Policy work 2 1 1 3

 

Table 3: Criminal matters – selected activities
1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000

2000-2001

Number of complaints, examinations and inquiries

Total complaints/information requests

1,285

937

1,945

966

Examinations commenced

39 49 37 57

Applications for inquiries under section 9

4 7 4 3
Inquiries in progress at year end 20 26 22 24
Disposition of inquiries
Matters referred to the Attorney General of Canada 3 7 9 8

Matters where charges were laid

3 6 6 8
Matters where Attorney General declined to proceed or withdrew charges (may include matters referred during previous years) 1 0 1 0
Matters before the Courts (may include matters referred during previous years) 8 6 7 8
Disposition of prosecutions (findings of guilt, guilty pleas, acquittals, stay of proceedings, orders of prohibition - may include matters referred during previous years) 48 16 21 14
Other activities
Examinations resolved by information contacts 13 11 6 12
Written advisory opinions 12 8 7 2

Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) requests

0 0 1 1

Searches

1 5 5 5

 

Table 4: Merger Examinations
  1997-
1998 
1998-
1999 
1999-
2000 
2000-
2001
Examinations Commenced
  • two or more days of review
  • includes notifiable transactions, advance ruling certificates,  advisory opinions and examinations commenced for other reasons 
  • some examinations commenced may arise from notifications and advance ruling certificate requests in relation to the same transaction

Notifiable Transactions

Advance Ruling Certificate Requests

320

190

219

309

191

174

361

198

209

373

206

255

Examinations Concluded
Posing No Issue Under the Act 406 346 392 381
With Pre-closing Restructuring 0 0 2 0
With Post-closing Restructuring and Undertakings 3 1 6 5
With Consent Orders 1 2 1 1
Through Contested Proceedings 0 2 0 0
Parties Abandoned Proposed Mergers in Whole or in Part as a Result of the Commissioner's Position 0 3 1 2
Total Examinations Concluded

(includes advance ruling certificates and advisory opinions issued and matters that have been concluded or withdrawn before the Competition Tribunal)

340 302 338 389
Advance Ruling Certificates Issued 
(included in Total Examinations Concluded)
123 186 128 215
Advisory Opinions Issued (included in Total Examinations Concluded) 3 7 3 2
Examinations Ongoing at Year-end 37 44 67 54
Total Examinations During the Year 377 346 405 443
 
Applications and Notices of Application Before the Tribunal and the Courts
Concluded or Withdrawn*** 2 4 2 1
Ongoing  2 1 1 2

 

Breakdown of Mergers by Year, 1997-2001
BUSINESS LINE 1997-
1998
1998-
1999
1999-
2000
2000-
2001
Pre-merger Notification Filing 90 109 92 73
Advance Ruling Certificate Request 285 226 273 255
Other Examinations 17 26 60 45
Total Mergers 392 361 425 373
Asset Securitizations 72 52 64 0
Total Minus Securitizations 320 309 361 373

 

Table 5: Fair Business Practices Branch - selected activities
  1997-1998

1998-1999

1999-2000 2000-2001
Number of complaints, examinations and inquiries

Total complaints received (Competition Act)

5,148

8,253

11,240

14,851

Total complaints received

(Labelling Acts)

452

477

not available

135

Applications for inquiries under section 9 4 0 4 1

Inquiries commenced

9 4 13 12
Disposition of inquiries
Completed examinations/inquiries (Competition Act) 397 163 140 238
Completed examinations/ inspections (Labelling Statutes)

2,368

2,012

2,316

433

Information contacts (includes only written contacts)

208

137

110

198

Undertakings (terms signed off) Competition Act 2 3 9

3

Undertakings (Labelling Statutes)

      122

Inquiries formally discontinued

Cases involving undertakings 2 3 2 1
Inquiry discontinued - no further action required 7 4 2 1
Matters referred to the Attorney General of Canada 5 1 3 6
Matters where further action is not warranted 1 0 0 0
Prosecutions commenced (may include matters referred previous years) 3 2 2 6

Prosecutions concluded

(May include matters referred during previous years)

convictions 7 5 2 3
non-convictions 0 0 1 0

Application to the Competition Tribunal (Consent Orders Filed)

Consent Orders Filed

n.a

n.a

1 2

Request advisory opinions (written opinions given)

Advisory Opinion Provided 201 40 39 33
Total Fines ($)
Competition Act

$573,300

$1,402,500

$1,190,000

$1,000,000

Labelling Acts

     

$3,000

Share this page

To share this page, just select the social network of your choice: