Opening session

This keynote panel will discuss the future of competition policy in the digital economy, focussing on the potential role for pro-competitive regulation. The panel will discuss the recommendations of the different reports, identify areas of agreement and explore the reasoning where the recommendation diverge. Finally, the session will explore implementation and the role for international cooperation on the issues that have been identified

Offert by PaRR

The financial sector has seen rapid innovation in the past decade, with significant impact on consumers, the market for financial intermediation, and on regulation. This panel will discuss the rise of FinTech, Big Tech in the provision of financial services, and how the use of algorithms, big data, blockchain, peer-to-peer lending and crowdsourcing are changing the role of the intermediary. The pace of innovation in the sector also poses a challenge for regulators in keeping a level playing field while striking the right balance between fostering innovation and preserving financial stability.

Lunch break

The OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría will launch the publication "2020 OECD Competition Trends". More at oe.cd/comp-trends

Recent research in the US and Europe links concentration of employers’ market power with a reduction in the level of wages. A number of other factors may also contribute to increasing employers’ market power. These include information asymmetries, difficulties in changing jobs linked to the heterogeneous preferences of workers, and the widespread use of non-compete agreements. The more limited sway of today’s trade unions may not countervail this power effectively. This session will discuss the characteristics of labour input markets, the factors facilitating the creation and exploitation of monopsony power, and its effects on workers and consumers. It will also explore the role of competition authorities and the challenges they face in tackling employer monopsony power.

Offered by PaRR

The competition dynamics observed in rapidly-evolving sectors, such as high-technology, consumer services and online retail, are challenging the role of competition authorities in merger control. In this session, we will debate whether authorities should expand the timeframe of merger review, in order to capture the long-term effects of mergers on investment and innovation, in addition to traditional short-term price effects. We will also debate practical solutions to adapt merger enforcement in the context of dynamic markets.

Concluding Remarks

Cocktail Reception offered by the OECD