Cooperation arrangement with Canadian Competition Bureau

Media release

Issued 13 April 2016
Release no. 109

Commission signs cooperation arrangement with Canadian Competition Bureau

Commerce Commission Chairman Dr Mark Berry has today signed a mutual cooperation arrangement with Canadian Competition Bureau Commissioner John Pecman to further enhance their collaboration on cross-agency competition matters.

The cooperation arrangement, which was signed in Vancouver this morning, will enable the Canadian Competition Bureau (Bureau) and the Commission to work more closely together in terms of sharing information and providing investigative assistance.

It is the Commission’s second competition cooperation arrangement with the Bureau as it signed another three-way agreement with them and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in October 2000. However, the new arrangement allows for better cooperation on international enforcement. The arrangement allows the Commission to share compulsorily acquired information and provide investigative assistance to the Bureau. The Bureau will also be able to share confidential information with the Commission.

Commission Chairman Dr Mark Berry says that international collaboration helps to ensure markets remain competitive, and this results in better prices and choices for consumers.

“I’m very pleased that today’s signing signals the tightening of our working relationship with Canada on competition issues. The Commission also recognises that joint international coordination on enforcement cases can be more effective than what is gained independently, and this is therefore a beneficial arrangement for both agencies.”

The Canadian Bureau’s Commissioner of Competition, John Pecman, adds, “The sharing of information with international counterparts is crucial in the global economy to ensure that markets remain competitive and innovative. This second cooperation arrangement with the New Zealand Commerce Commission will further enhance our abilities to work together to the benefit of our consumer and business communities. I look forward to collaborating with New Zealand on cross-border enforcement matters.”

Background
• The Cooperation Arrangement between the Commissioner of Competition (Canada) and the New Zealand Commerce Commission in Relation to the Sharing of Information and Provision of Investigative Assistance can be found here.
• You can download a photo of Commission Chairman Dr Mark Berry and Canadian Competition Bureau Commissioner John Pecman signing the arrangement here.
• The Cooperation Arrangement between the Commissioner of Competition (Canada), the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the New Zealand Commerce Commission in 2000 regarding the application of their Competition and Consumer Law can be found here.
• The Commission also has a similar trans-Tasman cooperation arrangement with the ACCC which was signed in 2013.
• Compulsorily acquired information is information that is not in the public domain, and which is acquired by the Commission as a result of or in relation to the exercise by the Commission of any of our statutory information-gathering powers.
• Investigative assistance includes the provision of assistance by way of exercising any of our statutory information gathering powers.

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