The European Judicial Training Network organises a series of training activities and study visits aimed at increasing awareness among non-competition enforcers across the EU on anti-trust infringements. The events run from April to June and are organised under the Single Market Programme (SMP-DGCOMP-2023-NCNE-IBA) with financial support from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP).

Targeted at justice practitioners and law enforcement professionals working on financial and economic crime investigations, the training activities will improve the detection and prosecution of anti-competitive infringements across the EU. The goal is to enhance the role of professionals who, while not directly responsible for competition enforcement, can support competition enforcement authorities by sharing relevant information and evidence with the European Commission and the National Competition Authorities of the Member States.

The training activities will be led by DG COMP experts and will introduce participants to key aspects of EU competition law, with a focus on cartels (agreements between competitors to fix prices, allocate markets, or limit production) and abuse of dominant position (exclusionary or exploitative practices by dominant companies that harm competition).

Participants will learn:

• How to identify “red flags” of possible Cartels and Abuse of dominant position
• How to cooperate with EU Commission & National Competition Authorities by sharing information to detect and prosecute antitrust infringements
• How AI can be used by companies to conceal anti- competitive practices, as well as how it can enhance investigative activities

Schedule

Please note that this training programme is conducted exclusively in English.

Target audience

• Law enforcement officers, public prosecutors and investigative judges conducting economic and financial crime investigations as their core daily tasks.
• Study visits are reserved for senior professionals, such as:
  • Heads or deputy heads of financial and economic crimes units
  • Supervisors / prosecutors or law enforcement officers overseeing financial crime investigations
  • Investigative judges or public prosecutors with more than 4 years of work experience in financial and economic crimes investigations
  • Investigative judges or public prosecutors with more than 10 years of work experience in the judiciary, who are currently conducting financial and economic crime investigations

Applications

• Interested applicants should submit Registration Form to the EJTN Project Manager at vanja.tekic@ejtn.eu

DG COMP plays a central role in the enforcement of EU competition law – it ensures that businesses compete fairly, consumers benefit from lower prices and innovation, and the EU Single Market remains open and competitive. One of its key roles includes the detection, investigation and sanctioning of anti-competitive behaviour in relation to cartels and abuse of dominant position. It works closely with National Competition Authorities (NCAs) to enforce competition law across the EU.

Judicial and law enforcement professionals conducting and managing financial and economic crime investigations are uniquely positioned to contribute to the fight against anti-competitive behaviour by sharing information with DG COMP and NCAs. Non-competition enforcers, often come across valuable information in the context of their non-competition related investigations — communications, financial transactions and other information on business practices — that could indicate cartel activity or abuse of market dominance. Their collective insights and expertise can be the missing piece that strengthens competition enforcement across the EU.

By working together, we can enhance enforcement, increase deterrence, and uphold the integrity of the EU’s Single Market.