- Fair competition on the market is the best form of protecting consumer interests – said William E. Kovacic, world-famous professor of competition law, during a lecture at the University of Warsaw
The subject of the lecture that Professor Kovacic delivered today at the University of Warsaw Library was The role of consumer protection in conditions of fair competition.Professor Kovacic emphasized that a competitive market is crucial to protecting consumer interests. An example was the description of the revolution that took place in telecommunications. – When I was a child, phones looked the same all over the country. There was no choice, because the telecom network operator and the handset supplier were the same monopolists. The development, which resulted in the popularization of mobile phones, was only possible after the barriers to competition were removed. – argued the former chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, the American equivalent of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. Among the necessary conditions for the proper functioning of a competitive market that also provides protection to consumers, Kovacic mentioned, among others, free access to the market, no pressure on consumers and fair information about the offer.
Professor William E. Kovacic came to Poland at the invitation of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. The lecture was co-organized by the Digital Economy Lab of the University of Warsaw.
William E. Kovacic served as Chairman of the US Federal Trade Commission from 2008 to 2009, and in 2013 was appointed Consulting Director of the UK Competition and Markets Authority. In the 90s, he advised on competition and consumer protection to the governments of Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Indonesia, Morocco, Russia, and Ukraine. He is currently Director of the Competition Law Center at George Washington University School of Law.
The presentation from the lecture is attached.
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