News & Events
March 01, 2021 | News March 2021 | A new Act on Protection of Competition

The Government of the Slovak Republic has approved a bill on protection of competition, which, once approved by the parliament, should enter into force on May 1, 2021.

The bill on protection of competition transposes into Slovak law Directive (EU) 2019/1 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market. 

Compared to the current situation, the bill brings about a significant change in the meaning of the term “entrepreneur”, which will be harmonized with the notion of “undertaking” as developed and established by the European case law and legislation.   

The bill also introduces new concepts in the form of the powers of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, such as the power to impose interim measures in the area of regulation of concentrations; and the power to dismiss complaints, submitted by natural and legal persons, which at the time in question are not considered to be the key objectives of competition protection, as defined in the prioritization policy of the Antimonopoly Office.   

The bill also regulates the procedure for imposing a fine on an association of entrepreneurs for an administrative offense which relates to the activities of the members of such association, and a mechanism to ensure payment of the full amount of the fine imposed if the association of entrepreneurs is unable to pay the fine.