How do the AdC and the sector regulators cooperate with each other to ensure the enforcement of competition?
The AdC’s missions is to ensure the enforcement and promotion of competition in Portugal within the private, public, cooperative and social sectors. To that end, the scope of the AdC’s powers covers all economic sectors.
The Authority acts in cooperation with the sector regulators to enforce legislation. Institutional cooperation works in a complementary way, and is fundamental for the efficient operation of the regulated markets.
Which are the sector regulators?
Regulates and supervises mobility and transport on land, waterways, and by rail, and the corresponding infrastructures, along with the economic activity of commercial ports and shipping.
Regulates, inspects and supervises the civil aviation sector.
Regulates the communications sector, including electronic and postal communications.
Ensures the proper functioning of the insurance and pension funds markets in Portugal.
Maintains price stability and promotes the stability of the financial system.
Supervises and regulates the financial instruments markets as well as the agents operating within those markets, and promotes investor protection.
Regulates and supervises all entities representing relevant interests in the context of the mass media.
Regulates the activity of healthcare service providers in the public, private, cooperative, and social sectors.
Regulates and supervises the public water supply, urban wastewater, and solid urban waste management sectors.
Regulates the electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), oil-based fuels and biofuels sectors and the activity of managing the electrical-vehicle charging network.
Regulates and supervises the construction and real estate sectors.
The cooperation between the Competition Authority and the sector regulators occurs in three distinct areas:
- Anticompetitive practices
Upon becoming aware of anti-competitive practices, the AdC immediately communicates with the regulatory authority of the sector in question. The same is true in the opposite position; that is, when a sectorial regulatory authority detects activities that may constitute a violation of the Competition Law, it promptly informs the AdC.
- Merger control
When a concentration of companies occurs in a regulated market, the AdC requests an opinion of the competent regulator regarding the notified operation.
- Market studies and sectors inquiries
The AdC publishes market studies and sector inquiries to identify possible restrictions to competition. Carrying out these studies makes it possible to supervise and monitor the functioning of markets and to issue recommendations to promote competition to the regulatory entities and policy makers.