International Cooperation

The Office for the Protection of Competition (hereinafter referred to as “the Office”) is in frequent contact with the European Commission, DG Competition. In particular, the Office notifies the Commission of measures in cooperation with aid providers, conducts informal consultations, facilitates communication between aid providers and the Commission not only on (pre-)notified measures but also in relation to monitoring and consultations on specific State aid measures, and provides comments on EU legislative proposals. 

Representatives of the Office participate in meetings of EU Advisory Committees, where legislative proposals in the field of State aid and foreign subsidies are discussed. The Office also takes part in ad hoc working group meetings organized by the European Commission, for example on transparency obligations. In addition, representatives of the Office attend meetings of the State Aid Working Group composed of representatives of Member States and the European Commission. These meetings provide a platform to exchange the latest information on State aid rules and procedures and to share best practices among Member States. The Office cooperates not only with competition authorities from EU Member States but also engages in cooperation with authorities from EU candidate countries. 

Since 2009, the Office has been hosting an annual conference dedicated to State aid. Speakers at these conferences regularly feature not only experts from the Office but also representatives of the European Commission, DG COMP, officials from foreign competition authorities, as well as other national and international experts. Furthermore, representatives of the Office take part in various international conferences and training seminars.