Competition Bureau Seeks Public Comment on its "Draft Information Bulletin on the Communication and Treatment of Information under the Competition Act"

OTTAWA, August 30, 2005 — The Competition Bureau is seeking public comment on its "Draft Information Bulletin on the Communication and Treatment of Information under the Competition Act (Draft for Consultation August 2005)" which sets out the Bureau’s approach to the communication and treatment of information obtained in the course of its work.

The revised bulletin was updated to reflect amendments to the Act since the original policy was introduced in 1995. For example, since 2002, section 29 protects any information provided voluntarily pursuant to the Competition Act, in addition to information obtained using formal powers.

The bulletin also provides:

• examples of when information is communicated to Canadian law enforcement agencies;
• examples of the Bureau’s interpretation of matters that fall within the administration or enforcement of the Act; and
• clarification on how information is treated when it is communicated to or received from foreign authorities.

The Bureau is committed to developing enforcement and educational tools through an open and transparent process.

Comments and/or suggestions on the revised bulletin can be submitted by e-mail, fax, or regular mail by December 2, 2005. All submissions will be made available to the public and will be posted on the Bureau's Web site, except where confidentiality is specifically requested.

Please send comments to:

Ms. Carol Lederer
Fax: 819-953 1877
E-mail: lederer.carol@cb-bc.gc.ca

Mailing address:

Competition Bureau
Place du Portage 1
50 Victoria Street
Gatineau, Québec K1A 0C9

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency. We contribute to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

Information Bulletin on the Communication and Treatment of Information under the Competition Act (Draft for Consultation, August 2005)

For media enquiries, please contact:
Purvi Radia
Communications Advisor
Communications Branch
819-953 8679

For general enquiries, please contact:
Information Centre
Competition Bureau
819-997-4282
1-800-348-5358