The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) established the Budapest Regional Competition Educational Center (ROK) in February 2005. Over the past 20 years, ROK has evolved into a key center for sharing competition policy knowledge across Eastern Europe and West Asia, hosting nearly 160 events attended by around 6,700 experts.

On February 28, 2025, a professional conference titled 'ROK 20' was held at the GVH headquarters to commemorate this milestone. The event aimed to reflect on ROK's professional activities and achievements over the past two decades while providing guidance for future collaborations. Notable guests included Benoît Cœuré, President of the French Competition Authority and Chair of the OECD Competition Committee, and Carmine Di Noia, Director for Financial and Corporate Affairs at the OECD.

The center's mission is to support competition authorities in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, as well as Central Asia, by organizing training and professional programs in competition law and policy. Currently, ROK serves 17 beneficiary countries, including Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Armenia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Since its inception, ROK has organized a total of 158 events, with nearly 5,700 participants and over 1,000 speakers sharing their expertise. GVH President Csaba Balázs Rigó expressed pride in ROK's role in enhancing professional knowledge sharing and collaboration among beneficiary competition authorities, emphasizing the impact of annual training and seminars on shaping regional competition policy.

During the conference, participants discussed significant issues, including market liberalization trends in Europe, the relationship between competition policy and industrial policy, and developments in competition policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia regions. Gerlaki Bence, State Secretary for Taxation, Consumer Protection, and Trade at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, highlighted the importance of the joint center in fostering professional development among regional competition authorities, promoting fair market operations, and contributing to economic growth.

Looking ahead to 2025, ROK plans to offer a full program, including newsletters, educational videos, and seven international seminars. More information about the activities of the GVH and the Budapest training center can be found on the websites of the Hungarian Competition Authority and the Regional Competition Educational Center.