In its own words, the mission of the International Competition Network (the ICN) is to advocate the adoption of "superior standards and procedures in competition policy around the world, formulate proposals for procedural and substantive convergence, and seek to facilitate effective international cooperation to the benefit of member agencies, consumers and economies worldwide."
ICN members include nearly all competition authorities (NCAs) from around the world (over 100 of them). Since its inception, the ICN has also sought to enrich its discussions and outputs through the inclusion of non-governmental advisors (NGAs), principally large multi-nationals and the legal and economic professions. The ICN is a transnational network, set up by its members, largely without wider state input.
This book hypothesises that the ICN's formally neutral structures provide powerful influence mechanisms for strong NCAs and NGAs, over the weak; and 'competition experts' over wider state interests, discussing the legitimacy of this from a political and legal theory perspective, analysing the ICN's effectiveness and efficiency, and suggesting ways that the ICN can improve all three.
This study has important implications for the ICN itself, particularly as it launches its 'Third Decade Project', billed as a full self-evaluation. However, the story told here is also relevant to states and the wider regulatory community, due to the widespread use of transnational networks.
Christopher Townley has been an academic in the Law School at King's College London since 2007. Before that he was a Principal Case Officer in the Office of Fair Trading (a UK competition authority) and a solicitor at Clifford Chance LLP (a law firm). Since joining King's, Christopher has provided teaching and/ or advice to several bodies, including the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (Columbia), the Egyptian Competition Authority, The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (Thailand), The NHS (UK), the Office of Fair Trading (UK), Ofcom (UK), The Pakistan Competition Commission, UNCTAD, and the World Bank.
Mattia Guidi is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences of the University of Siena. His research interests include the economic governance of the European Union, international and comparative political economy, and public opinion (in particular in relation to populist attitudes). He has published in international journals like International Organization, Socio-Economic Review, Regulation & Governance, Governance, European Union Politics. His monograph "Competition policy enforcement in EU member states" (2016) is published by Palgrave MacMillan in the European Administrative Governance series.
Mariana Tavares is Counsel at Cruz Vilaça Advogados. She served as a law clerk (référendaire) at the Court of Justice of the European Union and was a United Nations International Consultant for competition matters. She held several senior positions at the Portuguese Competition Authority and has been closely involved with the development of European and international competition law and policy. Mariana Tavares served as chair of several Working Groups of the European Competition Network and the International Competition Network and she also participated actively in the work of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre, OECD and UNCTAD. She holds a Ph.D. from King's College London.
