This session includes opening remarks by Mathias Cormann, (OECD Secretary-General) and Carmine Di Noia (Director, OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs) followed by a Keynote Speech by Kathleen Vohs (Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota). The 2025 edition of "OECD Competition Trends" will be also launched during the session.

This panel discussion brings together heads of competition authorities from around the globe to have a dialogue on the pivotal issues shaping the competition policy, law and enforcement landscape of the future. It will be a unique opportunity to hear from leaders in the competition community on the most pressing issues, challenges, and opportunities.

The standard of proof is a core concept of competition law; it is the degree to which enforcers must prove their case to succeed in establishing the existence of a competition infringement or an anti-competitive merger. The evidentiary standard defines the quantity and quality of evidence the party must provide to meet the standard of proof required to find a violation or prohibit a merger. Yet, gathering the required evidence is no easy task. With the increasing complexity of establishing antitrust infringements, has the evidentiary standard been set too high? Could it be making it excessively difficult for competition authorities to prove their cases or block mergers? What about in assessments where concepts such as economic moats and entrenchment are involved? Should the standard of proof or the burden of proof be adjusted in the future?

Allowing access to powerful predictive models through everyday language, developments in generative AI over the past couple of years have the potential to positively impact people’s lives. On the other hand, they appear to raise risks across a number of policy areas, from privacy or inequality, and even competition. In a rapidly evolving market, what actions should competition authorities, or those in the wider competition policy arena, be taking to minimise risks to competition? How should these actions be balanced against potential risks of overregulation?

The review of cross-border mergers is becoming increasingly relevant to competition authorities. A digitalised economy and a recent trend of large-scale transactions is making it more common to have mergers between multinational companies that require review in multiple jurisdictions, with assets located in different parts of the world. In this context, what are the most pressing complexities of cross-border mergers? What emerging strategies or approaches can competition authorities use to effectively review these transactions, considering the unique characteristics of digital markets?