During the Svatomartin Conference, the chairman of the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, Petr Mlsna, presented an award for long-term contributions to competition law to Bogdan Chirițoiu, the chairman of the Romanian competition authority.

The award for contributions in the field of competition law and public procurement is granted by the chairman of the Office based on government regulations. Dr. Chirițoiu has led the Romanian competition authority since 2009 and became a board member of the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators in 2019.

Between 2005 and 2009, he served as an advisor to the Romanian president, leading his country's delegation to the EU Economic Policy Committee. He holds a PhD in economics and has studied political and European studies at universities in Budapest and London. Currently, he is active as a lecturer at the University of Bucharest, teaching public administration and European studies.

The Office has been working to deepen cooperation with the academic sphere, particularly with law and economics faculties. It not only collaborates on specific projects but also participates directly in educational activities. Additionally, it offers internships to students in law, economics, and data science, allowing them to gain practical experience.

One way to support students interested in competition law is through the annual award for the best thesis in this area, which is presented at the Svatomartin Conference along with a financial reward. This year, the best thesis was awarded to Ing. Pavlína Adamcová, a student from the Faculty of Economics and Administration at Masaryk University in Brno. Her thesis, titled 'Retail-Minus Rule in Telecommunications,' discusses the method for calculating optimal wholesale prices in telecommunications services.