What do we know about competition agencies in emerging and transition countries? Evidence on workload, personnel, priority sectors, and training needs

During 2003, the World Bank Institute sent a needs assessment questionnaire to 48 competition agencies in transition and emerging countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Responses were classified according to the World Bank's analytical regional grouping and the evidence allows a cross-regional comparison of competition agencies'workload, personnel, priority sectors, and training needs. The view of competition authorities as a homogenous group across countries and regions can be discarded. The analysis of the needs assessment questionnaire shows that there are significant heterogeneities among competition agencies'mandates, exempted sectors, professional personnel endowment, and capacity needs. An important lesson for the design of training courses is that competition agencies do not need introductory courses. There is a significant demand for training on substance, on how to solve day-to-day technically challenging cases. Responses confirm the growing importance of competition policy issues in infrastructure services (such as market foreclosure and access to essential facilities) and the need to foster coordination between sector regulators and competition agencies.