On October 14-15, 2019, CLDP, in cooperation with the Competition Agency of Georgia, and in conjunction with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, conducted a two-day workshop on merger control. The workshop trained 35 participants from the Competition Agency and participating sectoral regulators to properly analyze and enforce mergers in regulated and unregulated markets in Georgia. Expert advisors from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice led the workshop, which included presentations, hypothetical case-studies, and examples from real practice.

As part of the U.S. Government’s technical assistance to Georgia, CLDP initiated a multi-phase engagement to build the institutional capacity of the Competition Agency of Georgia in 2018. CLDP’s aim with this initiative is to build the agency’s capacity to enforce competition law; implement policies against monopolies and abuse of dominance; and make effective decisions consistent with the country’s overall economic strategy and economic security framework. Over the past two years, CLDP has collaborated with the Competition Agency to plan a series of workshops and roundtables on competition law in Georgia. The programs trained the staff of the agency and participating sectoral regulators on foundational topics in competition law, including eliminating bid-rigging in public procurement, preventing abuse of dominance, and developing competition in the pharmaceutical market.