Competition Enforcement for Business Collaborations during COVID-192020

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions have necessitated a rise in collaborations among businesses due to various demand and supply shocks in the economy. This has led competition authorities worldwide to reconsider competition law enforcement, thus ensuring the supply and distribution of essential goods and services. This Discussion Paper, focusing on the different approaches undertaken by competition authorities all around the world to strike a balance between the greater public interest and competition in the market. To ensure a real-time approach, data has been used from a survey conducted targeting competition authorities which enabled a comparative analysis of various jurisdictions.Contrary to what has been observed in previous research, the current times warrant a sympathetic assessment of competition rules, to ensure continuity of supply and distribution, at least in the short-term.