Today, Prague welcomed more than 140 competition law experts from 47 countries for the ICN Unilateral Conduct Workshop 2026, hosted by the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS). This event marks the first time ÚOHS has organized such a workshop, which will run until Friday and is centered on the issue of abuse of dominant market positions.

In his opening remarks, ÚOHS Chairman Petr Mlsna emphasized the increasing dynamism, complexity, and globalization of markets. He noted that business strategies are becoming more sophisticated, and competition law must adapt to these changes cautiously yet decisively. The behavior of dominant firms has long been one of the most complex areas of competition law.

Mlsna pointed out that potentially anticompetitive behavior is often less visible today than in the past, being more sophisticated and harder to detect, frequently masquerading as legitimate or even effective business conduct. This complicates the detection, investigation, and proof of such behavior, which is not limited to digital markets but also occurs in traditional sectors.

A key theme throughout the conference is the diversity of approaches among competition authorities in assessing dominance and market power. These differences extend beyond market shares to issues such as barriers to entry, vertical integration, buyer power assessment, and the application of the presumption of dominance. In the context of globalized markets and cross-border business strategies, these differences pose challenges for legal certainty and effective law enforcement.

Justice Minister Jeroným Tejc also spoke at the event, highlighting the importance of sharing experiences across countries and institutions. He noted that meetings like this are not just about presentations but also about open discussions and identifying problems, all aimed at ensuring fair competition and functional markets that ultimately benefit consumers. Tejc mentioned recent changes to competition law that ÚOHS has submitted to the legislative process.

The International Competition Network (ICN) serves as a global forum for enhancing cooperation among competition authorities. Active working groups within this platform regularly organize conferences and workshops, with the ICN Unilateral Conduct Workshop being one of them. For ÚOHS, this is the largest event in the field of international relations this year.