PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project relates to the priority regarding the implementation and enforcement of the internal market acquis in the Phare programme countries. Its aim is to provide a consistent follow-up to the recently deployed European Conference on Competition through  a permanent confrontation of  the case of Romania with other CEE experiences in the field of its efforts to eliminate the barriers for the free movement of services and improve the free movement of capitals , aimed to generate a stable, coherent and cohesive information, communication, mutual assistance and consultation impartial system for promoting the EU liberalisation/competition policies. The identified target groups are located in seven Central Eastern European countries and are composed from experts of the general and specialised regulatory bodies, corporate members of the chambers of commerce, employer organisations and concerned professional associations.

This action is planned to consolidate our REGENT Centre ( ) created in June 2001, especially the projects aimed to support the partnerships between public authorities and private & NGO sector organisations from national/regional capitals in EU and CEEC in the field of accelerating the European integration process. Also, we design to provide a practical impact and follow-up to other two initiatives supported in the past by projects supported by DG Education and DG Press: the research study and advocacy campaign “Europeanisation of Romania through Regional Development and Diversity“ ( ), and the newly created EU PROCESS ACADEMY ( ) - an intensive training programme for CEE  experts in European integration .

In terms of priority issues for 2004, the competition policy represents an essential dimension of the whole European accession process within the European Single Market.  As such, we are decided to concentrate on the effectiveness of enforcing/ implementation operations.  This could be attained through both the full harmonisation of the competition and State aid policy and rules, according to the EU legislative framework in the above mentioned field (including economic regulations, privatisation, antitrust measures, State aid supervision, international trade). In order to implement  the competition policy and rules within the structural reform, we consider that a special attention must be paid to the links between Chapter 6 - Competition Policy - and other more demanding  chapters of the Single Market acquis,  implied by the preparation of Romanian companies and involved bodies/authorities for a free and fair pan - European and global competition, and a for achieving a stronger socio-economic cohesion of the acceding countries involving various fields (energy, industrial policy or regional policy).

Using the mediation of our NGO advocacy and mediation capabilities, and choosing Romania as a main study-case of the project, to be framed and confronted with other more advanced CEE C economies/reforms of the competition system, we believe to give our specific contribution to the supporting efforts of EU and to the acceleration of the entire integration process in our region.

The identified target groups:

AGENDA of the EUROPEAN SEMINAR

10:30 – 13:00
Thematic Workshops:

	in the CERCHEZ  Hall – addressed to big international and Romanian companies issues related to the legislation and the implementation of the regulations and standards of the Single Market in the new EU Member States and in the Candidate Countries: the companies’ conduct prior and after the mergers, the conditions of granting state aids, the market concentrations (anti-trust policies and the regulation of cartels’ activities), the management of the post-privatization of the Romanian companies (compliance programs);
	in the German Living Room – addressed to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) aspects connected to the fight against unfair competition, seen from the SME’s point of view: the labour legislation, the brands and inventions counterfait, misleading advertising etc.
Co-moderators: EU Pre-accession Counsellors, high representatives of the Romanian Competition Council,  Ministry of Public Finances and Ministry of European Integration

15:00 – 17:00
The Great Reception CERCHEZ Hall – Round Table: “Tasks and responsibilities of the business environment during the pre-accession period and after joining the European Union” – aspects concerning the legislative regulations, the implementation and promotion of the good practices on a more competitive market

CARIERE

Comunicatedepresa.ro

We would like to invite you to ally your organisation/company in order to support the further development of the CEFTAC Platform. For a detailed presentation of the Action Plan of the Platform, please contact the Secretariat of the Organising Committee ( ).

For your information, please find below a selective list of the institutions, companies and organisations, which joined the CEFTAC Platform and participated to the European Seminar (7 March 2005):

• Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

• Royal Embassy of Norway

• Royal Embassy of the Netherlands

• Embassy of the Republic of Poland

• Embassy of Hungary

• Delegation of the European Commission in Bucharest

• Hugarian Competition Authority

• Academia de Advocacy

• Automobile Dacia

• Banca Comerciala Romana

• Baurom Construct

• Bucovina Enterprises

• Cabinet de Avocatura Calin Andrei Zamfirescu

• Centrul Parteneriat pentru Egalitate

• CN Posta Romana

• Fundatia pentru o Societate Deschisa

• Graffiti BBDO

• Holcim Romania SA

• ING Romania

• McCann Erickson

• Mittal Steel

• MOBIFON SA

• Nestle Romania

• PETROSERV SA

• Raiffeisen Bank

• Royal Consulting

• SCA Hahui si Asociatii

• SCA Miculiti, Mihai & Asociatii

• SCA Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen

• Tenaris pentru Europa de Est si CIS

• Total Consult

• ZETEA Srl

• Presidency of Romania

• Senate of Romania

• Romanian Chamber of Deputies

• Romanian Competition Council

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Ministry of Public Finances

• Ministry of European Integration

• National Association of Internet Service Providers – Romania (ANISP)

• National Regulatory Authority in Natural Gas sector (ANRGN)

• Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Romania

• British-Romanian Chamber of Commerce

• University of Bucharest