Our Branches

Civil Matters Branch

Responsible for detecting and deterring restrictive trade practices that have a negative impact on competition, such as abuse of dominance, refusal to deal, exclusive dealing, tied-selling and price maintenance. Activities will also extend to certain types of anti-competitive agreements or arrangements of a non-criminal nature.

Compliance and Operations Branch

Responsible for ensuring that Branches work within approved policies and procedures and have what they need to do their work (Capacity Building, Enforcement Services, Management Services).

Criminal Matters Branch

Responsible for detecting and deterring hard core cartels including conspiracies, agreements or arrangements among competititors and potential competitors to fix prices, allocate markets or restrict supply, and bid-rigging. For cartels other than bid-rigging entered into prior to March 12, 2010, an undue lessening of competition must be proven. The Branch also actively reaches out to stakeholders engaged in procurement to enable them to detect and deter bid-rigging and other cartel activities.

Economic Policy and Enforcement Branch

Responsible for providing expertise on leading economic theory, advice on enforcement matters and policy/advocacy activities of the Bureau, and for developing and disseminating economic knowledge to the Bureau.

Fair Business Practices Branch

Responsible for promoting a competitive marketplace by discouraging deceptive business practices and by encouraging the provision of sufficient information to enable informed consumer choice. The Branch administers and enforces the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Textile Labelling Act, the Precious Metals Marking Act as well as the misleading representations and deceptive marketing practices provisions of the Competition Act.

Legal Support

Competition Bureau Legal Services (DOJ)
Responsible for providing legal services to the Commissioner of Competition and for representing the Commissioner on all matters other than those for which the Public Prosecution Service of Canada is responsible.

Competition Law Section (PPSC)
Responsible for initiating and conducting criminal prosecutions on behalf of the Attorney General of Canada and for advising the Competition Bureau on criminal investigations.

Legislative and International Affairs Branch

Responsible for input into legislative proposals relating to the Competition Act and other legislation administered and enforced by the Bureau and providing competition policy input into departmental and government-wide legislative and regulatory proposals. LIA is responsible for advancing competition interests in international cooperation, negotiation and policy development fora, and coordinating the Bureau's competition advocacy initiatives.

Mergers Branch

Responsible for reviewing merger transactions, and taking remedial action where necessary, to protect and promote competitive markets in Canada. The principal test applied by the Bureau is whether a merger or proposed merger is likely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition.

Public Affairs Branch

Responsible for providing leadership, support and advice in communicating to the public the Bureau’s contribution to competition in the marketplace. It is also the focal point for interactions between the Bureau and stakeholders, such as Parliament, business and consumer groups.