Tánaiste launches new set of Competition Authority information booklets.

The Tánaiste noted that the Authority had made as one of its core objectives for 2000 the promotion of greater awareness among the business community and the wider public of the necessity to eliminate anti-competitive behaviour and of the benefits to business, consumers and the economy in general of greater competition. The Tanaiste said that the new information booklets were an important step in the achievement of this goal and welcomed particularly the Authority's booklet on price fixing entitled "Cartel Watch". "Competition is good for consumers, good for competitiveness and good for the country and we therefore need to promote competition energetically" said the Tánaiste. She continued, "The Competition Authority has constantly fought on behalf of the consumer to ensure effective enforcement of competition law and to seek the elimination of anti competitive practices such as price fixing. I strongly endorse the aims of the Authority in this regard and hope that the current recruitment process by my Department of professional staff for the Authority will allow the Authority to achieve its objectives". Mr. Patrick Massey, Director of Competition Enforcement at the Authority said that the "Cartel Watch" booklet is intended to advise the public on the threat posed by cartels and advises them of the practices which might indicate that a cartel is at work. The Authority believes, he said, that increasing public awareness in this way will strengthen its drive against cartels. "Those who engage in price fixing and other cartel type behaviour know exactly what they are at", continued Mr. Massey. "They are getting together to 'rip-off' the public and it is time that such behaviour was recognised for the criminal behaviour that it is". In addition to the booklet on cartels, the Authority has also published today an information booklet dealing with the issue of 'Refusal to supply' and an explanatory guide to the Authority's Category Certificate/Licence in respect of Agreements between Suppliers and Resellers. The Authority's decision relating to this certificate/licence and its decision in relation to its category certificate in respect of agreements involving a merger and/or sale of business have also been published today in booklet format. Copies of all of the booklets are available, free of charge, from the Competition Authority, Parnell House, 14 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. telephone 01-8045400