ACC joins the International Chamber of Commerce, In House Competition Lawyers Association, and US Council for International Business in supporting this historic proposal.
WASHINGTON (April 10, 2019) — The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Association of in-house competition lawyers (ICLA), and the U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB) welcome the announced approval of the International Competition Network (ICN) Framework for Competition Agency Procedures (CAP), as an encouraging step towards a more sound and fair competition enforcement across the globe.
The CAP highlights and reinforces important due process principles in competition law investigations such as transparency and predictability, confidentiality, conflict of interest, representation by counsel, appropriate notice, privilege, independent review and reasonable time period for investigations. Competition agencies, businesses and consumers around the globe, all stand to gain from reinforcement of these core principles.
The CAP’s endorsement of non-discrimination in antitrust enforcement is key in today’s global marketplace and addresses a pertinent issue at the interface of competition law and trade law.
Our members hope that most, if not all, competition agencies opt into the CAP in the near future. We believe implementation of the CAP principles is key in any sound competition enforcement regime.
“International consistency in enforcement is a major concern for in-house counsel,” said Mary Blatch, associate general counsel and director of advocacy at ACC. “These measures are welcome news to in-house lawyers who must help their companies navigate the different practices in international competition enforcement.”
About ACC: The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is a global legal association that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel who work for corporations, associations and other organizations through information, education, networking, and advocacy. With more than 45,000 members in 85 countries employed by over 10,000 organizations, ACC connects its members to the people and resources necessary for both personal and professional growth. By in-house counsel, for in-house counsel.® For more information, visit www.acc.com and follow ACC on Twitter: @ACCinhouse.