The Czech competition authority hosted a seminar today as part of an OECD project focused on uncovering cartel agreements in public procurement, specifically bid rigging. The event welcomed around thirty participants, including judges, prosecutors, and police officers involved in economic crime investigations.

Chairman of the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, Petr Mlsna, along with the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic, Petr Angyalossy, and Despina Pachnou from the OECD, opened the seminar. Pachnou highlighted the significance of bid rigging, noting that public procurement accounts for approximately 13% of the GDP in the Czech Republic, which translates to nearly 32% of all public expenditures. She emphasized that bid rigging significantly inflates the costs of public contracts, making it a priority for both competition authorities and criminal justice agencies.

Academic Michal Petr from Palacký University in Olomouc discussed the evidentiary standards and tools for assessing evidence in competition cases, particularly focusing on cartels in public contracts. He also provided insights into the most relevant case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Chairman of the Supreme Administrative Court, Karel Šimka, summarized key cases from the Czech context that have been adjudicated by administrative courts.

The final part of the workshop was led by Michal Fiala from the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, who addressed the criminal norms related to prosecuting cartel agreements in public procurement, their practical application, and the relationship between criminal and administrative enforcement of such prohibited agreements.

This workshop was part of an international project organized by the OECD in collaboration with the Czech competition authority, funded by the European Union. Besides the Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Latvia, Poland, and Portugal are also participating in the project.

For more detailed information on bid rigging, refer to the OECD Guidelines for Combating Bid Rigging in Public Procurement or visit the website of the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition.