CONVENOR'S REPORT ON COLLECTIVE ACTIONS

FOR OSAKA ACTION AGENDAS ISSUE AREAS

(8) COMPETITION POLICY; AND (10) DEREGULATION

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The matrices on Competition Policy and Deregulation were finalized at the Workshop on Competition Policy and Deregulation held at Davao City, Philippines on 17-18 August 1996. Copies are attached.

These are relatively new and complex work areas for APEC. Members' views on how to achieve the Osaka Action Agenda objectives are still developing. The first workshop has made significant progress in advancing this process.

The matrices focus on information exchange, policy dialogue and increasing transparency. Timeframes are reflected as short, medium or long term, and in particular cases as ongoing.

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SUMMARY OF APEC MEMBER STEPS TO IMPLEMENT

COLLECTIVE ACTIONS ISSUE: Competition Policy

Member:

COLLECTIVE ACTION

STEPS TO IMPLEMENT

TIMEFRAME
  1. Gather information and promote dialogue on and study starting from 1996:

The objectives, necessity, role and operation of each APEC economy's competition policy and/or laws and administrative procedures, thereby establishing a database on competition policy;

Competition policy issues that impact on trade and investment flows in the Asia-Pacific region;

Areas for technical assistance and the modalities thereof, including exchange and training programmes for officials in charge of competition policy, taking into account the availability resources; and

The interrelationship between competition policy and/or laws and other policies related to trade and investment;
  1. Collective action; Continue policy dialogue and information exchange and study on competition policy, competition laws and their enforcement and their interrelationship with other policies related to trade and investment, including through further workshops if members so decide.
  2. Individual economies: To provide further information on their competition policies, competition laws and their enforcement, thereby enhancing transparency and contributing to the establishment of an APEC database competition policy.
  3. Following completion of the technical assistance survey, individual economies to seek technical assistance and/or consider providing training programmes with a view to sharing their experience in operating competition policies and laws with others.
 Starting from 1996
  1. Deepen competition policy dialogue between APEC economies and relevant international organisations;
  1. Collective action: maintain dialogue with other international organisations considering competition policy and law issues.
 Ongoing
  1. Continue to develop understanding in the APEC business community of competition policy and /or laws and administrative procedures;
  1. Collective action: Individual economies to further develop dialogue with the business community on competition policy and/or laws and administrative procedures.
 Short term
  1. Encourage cooperation among the competition authorities of APEC economies with regard to information exchange, notification and consultation;
  1. Collective action: consider further actions for promoting cooperation among competition authorities.
  2. Individual economies to list and update contact points of competition authorities no later than 1 January 1997 with a view to information exchange, consultation and communication where deemed necessary.
 Short term
  1. Contribute to the use of trade and competition laws, Policies and measures that promote free and open trade, investment and competition; and
  1. Collective action to be considered as policy dialogue develops.
 Long term
  1. Consider developing non-binding principles on competition policy and/or laws in APEC.
  1. Collective action to be considered as policy dialogue develops.
 Long term

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SUMMARY OF APEC MEMBER STEPS TO IMPLEMENT

COLLECTIVE ACTIONS ISSUE: Deregulation

Member:

COLLECTIVE ACTION

STEPS TO IMPLEMENT

TIMEFRAME
  1. Publish annual reports detailing actions taken by APEC economies to deregulate their domestic regulatory regimes.
  1. Individual economies to report on reforms to their domestic regulatory regimes and to update reports annually.
 Starting 1996
  1. Develop further actions taking into account the above reports, including:
  1. policy dialogue on APEC economies' experiences in regard to best practices in deregulation, including the use of individual case studies to assist in the design and implementation of deregulatory measures, and consideration of further options for a work programme which may include;
  1. Collective action: take stock of in formation already gathered in APEC on regulatory regimes and regulatory reform with a view to identifying common experiences, and technical assistance needs and availability.
  2. Collective action: promote dialogue and understanding within APEC, through focused discussion, on the experiences of APEC economies and on the principles applied to and best practices in, regulatory reform (drawing on the short term information gathering exercise).
 Short term

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Medium term
  • Identification of common priority areas and sectors for deregulation; provision of technical assistance in designing and implementing deregulation measurers; and examination of the possibility of establishing APEC guidelines on domestic regulation.
  • Collective action; following the Davao workshop on competition policy and deregulation, develop a common understanding of the interrelationships between competition policy, deregulation and trade liberalisation.
  • Collective action: examine the possibility of establishing nonbinding APEC guidelines on domestic deregulation.
 Ongoing

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Long term
  1. regular dialogue with the business community, including a possible symposium.
  1. Collective action: individual economies to begin dialogue with domestic business interests.
  2. Collective action: examine the possibility of convening a symposium of APEC economies on regulatory reform.
  3. Collective action: obtain the views of the business sector on regulatory reform through business organisations, including ABAC and PECC.
 Short term /
Medium term