The European Competition Network (ECN) celebrates 20 years of collaboration among national competition authorities of EU member states and the European Commission. The ECN aims to ensure maximum coherence in the application of EU competition law through close cooperation within the framework of Regulation 1/2003.

The ECN serves as a discussion and cooperation forum for enforcing European competition policy, promoting a common competition culture in Europe, and facilitating case-specific enforcement.

Through consultation mechanisms and extensive information exchange, the ECN equips competition authorities with tools to address anti-competitive practices that harm competition and consumers efficiently.

The ECN enables competition authorities to share experiences, coordinate decisions, and engage in mutual assistance, enhancing their ability to investigate and address competition law violations effectively.

Over the past 20 years, national competition authorities have issued over 1,700 decisions based on Articles 101 and/or 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, averaging 140 investigations and 75 decisions per year.

The collaboration within the ECN plays a crucial role in ensuring the consistent application of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, with expert groups addressing competition issues in specific sectors and promoting a unified approach.

The Austrian Federal Competition Authority (BWB) actively participates in various ECN working groups, focusing on legal, economic, and technical aspects of competition law enforcement as well as sector-specific topics.