Business Breakfast with the Chairman

On December 4, 2013 Business Breakfast with the Chairman took place at the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, where the achievements of the objectives set at the beginning of 2013 were assessed. The Chairman and other Office´s representatives informed on the progress in the implementation of the prioritisation policy into practice. The Office primarily focuses its resources on handling meaningful competition issues with significant impact on the market and large number of consumers. As for the priority sectors, the heating sector was completed by issuing a “Study on Functioning and Problems in the Heating Sector in the Slovak Republic with focus on Central Heating Systems from the View of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic” and the Office continues to investigate consumer sensitive areas of finance and food.  In the context of decision-making activities, the Office focuses on detecting cartels, which are among the most serious infringements of competition rules. This year, however, it also imposed a fine of more than 10 million euro for abuse of dominant position and succeeded before the Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic. In order to improve a competitive environment, the Office is actively involved in commenting on new legislation. It raises public awareness of the competition issues through organising conferences, workshops and seminars, as well as through cooperation with universities and reporting on its activities through various media. The big challenge for the upcoming period includes, besides enforcement of the competition rules, also successful completion of the approval process of amendment of the Act on Protection of Competition.