The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) and the OECD jointly organized a successful judicial training seminar at the Regional Competition Education Center (ROK) on May 29-30, 2025. This seminar, supported by the European Commission, centered on the topic of agreements between competitors, providing participants with insights from leading EU, academic, and competition authority experts.

Established in February 2005, ROK aims to support competition law and policy in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, as well as Central Asia, by organizing training sessions and professional programs for competition authorities in these regions. The annual program includes specialized training for judges to ensure they are well-informed about the application of competition policy law.

The recent training session explored the foundations and operations of competitor agreements, assessing potential competition-restricting aspects and the conditions for applying exemptions. Specific forms of agreements, such as joint bidding, collaborations for sustainability goals, and innovation agreements, were also examined.

A total of 32 judges from 16 countries participated in the two-day training, gaining in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge about this complex area of competition law from renowned experts.

In 2025, ROK celebrates its 20th anniversary, having organized 31 judicial training sessions over the past two decades, attended by approximately 1,000 judges. To commemorate this milestone, representatives from beneficiary countries reflected on their achievements at an international conference and discussed future collaboration directions.

ROK plans a full program for 2025, including newsletters, educational videos, and seven international seminars. The next judicial training session will take place in the fall, focusing on vertical collaborations.