MoU between Competition Commission of India and Competition Commission of Mauritius

• Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Competition Commission of Mauritius (CCM) for promotion and strengthening of co-operation in competition law and policy.
• The MoU aims to promote and strengthen cooperation in matters of competition law and policy through exchange of information, sharing of best practices and capacity building initiatives.
• It is intended to promote mutual co-operation in the areas of technical co-operation, experience sharing and enforcement co-operation.
• The resultant outcomes would benefit consumers at large and promote equity and inclusiveness.

Impact:

• The MoU between CCI and CCM is expected to achieve the following:

1. Address anticompetitive restraints that affect international trade;
2. Improve enforcement of the Competition Act, 2002 by CCI;
3. Promote understanding of competition policy;
4. Capacity building;
5. Bring diplomatic benefits;

• Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Competition Commission of India on the Indian side and Competition Commission of Mauritius on the other side would be major beneficiaries in this Memorandum of Understanding.

Competition Commission of India:

• The CCI acts as the competition regulator in India.
• The Commission was established in 2003, although it became fully functional only by 2009.
• It aims at establishing a competitive environment in the Indian economy through proactive engagement with all the stakeholders, the government, and international jurisdiction.
• The objectives of the Commission are:

1. To prevent practices that harm the competition.
2. To promote and sustain competition in markets.
3. To protect the interests of consumers.
4. To ensure freedom of trade.

• Section 18 of the Competition Act, 2002 permits CCI to enter into any memorandum or arrangement with any agency of any foreign country for the purpose of discharging its duties or performing its functions under the Act.