"Closing the Net on Cross-Border Anticompetitive Activity" - Competition Bureau Signs Cooperation Arrangement with Competition Agencies in Brazil

Ottawa, May 13, 2008 – The Competition Bureau signed a Cooperation Arrangement today in Brazil with Brazil's three competition agencies: The Council for Economic Defense, the Secretariat of Economic Law of the Ministry of Justice, and the Secretariat for Economic Monitoring of the Ministry of Finance of the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

"This Cooperation Arrangement expands the Bureau's ability to effectively combat anticompetitive activities with cross-border implications and reflects the importance of our close working relationship with our enforcement colleagues in Brazil," said Sheridan Scott, Commissioner of Competition.

The Arrangement formalizes the existing working relationship between the four agencies, and contains provisions on notification, cooperation and coordination on enforcement activities, exchange of information and avoidance of conflicts. The Arrangement comes into effect immediately. The Bureau has similar arrangements with the competition agencies from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, the United Kingdom and Korea.

The Competition Bureau is an independent agency that contributes to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

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