The Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC) has published its Competition Policy Priorities for 2025, emphasizing its commitment to public interest and competition promotion. The priorities aim to foster economic growth, investment, and innovation by addressing barriers to entry and expansion across various sectors.

One of the key focuses for 2025 is combating anti-competitive practices. The AdC plans to intensify investigations into harmful practices such as cartels and horizontal agreements, particularly in public procurement and labor markets. The authority will enhance its proactive detection capabilities through new organizational models and advanced forensic IT tools, while continuing to promote its leniency program as a vital tool against anti-competitive behavior.

Another priority is the detection and investigation of abuses of dominant positions, especially in economically significant sectors that directly affect consumers. The AdC aims to ensure fair competition and prevent market monopolization.

Merger control will also be a significant focus, with the AdC committing to prompt and rigorous reviews of mergers, paying special attention to ancillary restrictive clauses. Additionally, the authority will assess the current legal framework for merger control, particularly in rapidly innovating markets.

The AdC plans to promote competition through outreach and dialogue with key economic sectors, raising awareness about the importance of addressing collusion in public procurement and fostering competitive labor markets while considering sustainability.

Monitoring the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI) is another critical area for the AdC. The authority will track developments in digital markets to identify potential competition constraints and enforce the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in collaboration with the European Commission. The AdC will also analyze the implications of generative AI on competition policy to prevent market power consolidation.

To enhance its capabilities in detecting anti-competitive practices, the AdC will implement innovative forensic IT tools and integrate AI into its investigation processes.