On May 5, 2014, the Competition Bureau published its inaugural “2014-2015 Annual Plan: Promoting Compliance for the Benefit of Canadian Consumers”, which briefly summarizes its activities in its 2013-2014 fiscal year and setting out its priorities for the coming year.
Summary of Bureau Activities in 2013-2014
- received 10 immunity and 11 leniency applications;
- executed 14 search warrants;
- commenced 228 and concluded 232 merger examinations;
- published 11 position statements on merger reviews covering a variety of industries;
- engaged with Canadians through social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channel); and
- released its Action Plan on Transparency in May 2013.
Priorities for 2014-2015
According to the Action Plan, the Bureau’s priorities for the upcoming year are as follows:
- Applying effective and integrated enforcement and administration of the Competition Act and labelling statutes – in particular, the Bureau proposes to advance operational improvements through enforcement policies and procedures (e.g., greater use of evidence-handling software and issuing revised Intellectual Property Enforcement Guidelines and Price Maintenance Enforcement Guidelines.
- Increasing competition promotion efforts to advance a culture of compliance and competition advocacy – in particular, the Bureau proposes to complete its ongoing market study and initiate two others, as well as diversifying and strengthening partnerships with other domestic and international regulators (e.g., CRTC, RCMP and Chinese, Indian and Latin American competition authorities).
- Aligning with and delivering on Government of Canada priorities, including supporting the Government’s intention to address unjustified cross-border price discrimination to reduce the gap between consumer prices in Canada and the U.S.
- Increasing organizational synergies through the Bureau’s personnel, planning and systems.