GOPA PACE - EU support to the Kosovo Competition Authority and State Aid Commission

At a glance

Country:
Kosovo
Sector: Governance
Key topic: Competition & state aid
SDG Impact: 16
Client: EU

Start date: 01/2019
End date: 02/2024
Duration:

month(s)
Budget: 3.798.000 €
Type:
TA

WHY

The Government of Kosovo faced the pressing need to enhance its institutional capacity, aligning its practices with EU acquis and Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) requirements. This endeavor aimed to establish the groundwork for sustainable economic standards within the country.

WHAT

Competitive Environment: To contribute to the creation and maintenance of a competitive business environment in Kosovo, fostering innovation, fair competition, and economic growth.

State Aid Discipline: To enforce higher levels of discipline and transparency in state aid practices, ensuring that public resources are utilized efficiently and in accordance with EU standards.

Administrative Capacity: To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative capacities within the fields of competition and state aid, ultimately enabling Kosovo to meet its obligations and responsibilities in these areas.

The primary objective was to empower the beneficiaries to autonomously perform their duties and responsibilities in these crucial domains.

HOW

The project executed a comprehensive intervention strategy, consisting of more than 50 tailored activities:

Institutional Capacity Building: Strengthened the institutional and administrative capacities of the Kosovo Competition Authority and State Aid Commission.

This included support for the implementation of the Law on Protection of Competition and related secondary legislation.

Inter-Institutional Coordination: Enhanced the inter-institutional coordination system by fostering cooperation between these authorities and other regulatory bodies.

State Aid Inventory: Compiled a comprehensive inventory of existing state aid schemes and drafted a program of adjustment to align them with EU standards.

Awareness Raising: Conducted training programs for the judiciary, aligning their practices with EU best practices in competition law and state aid regulation.

RESULTS / ACHIEVEMENTS

Expert Mobilisation: Over 1600 working days of experts mobilised to strengthen and support the administrative capacities of the relevant institutions, contributing to their effectiveness and efficiency.

Training Sessions: 24 trainings organised for State Aid Commission representatives, covering topics such as methodology, monitoring, and horizontal rules.

Focused Training: 13 sessions delivered on the legislative framework, addressing issues like dominant position, collusion, exchange of sensitive information, abuses of dominance, control of concentration, and cartels.

Study Visits: Over 5 study visits facilitated for representatives from the Competition and State Aid bodies to EU counterparts, including Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium, and the Czech Republic, promoting knowledge exchange and best practices sharing.

Cooperation Strengthened: More than 20 training sessions conducted to strengthen cooperation with line ministries and municipalities, including the Ministries of Finance, Labour and Transfers, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade, and Economy and Energy.

Advisory Notes: Approx. 100 advisory notes prepared to assist beneficiaries in better understanding how to handle competition and state aid cases.

Internships: Internships organised for university students, providing them with practical experience in enforcing competition and state aid legislation.

Awareness Materials: Brochures and booklets produced and distributed to raise awareness about the competences and legislation of the Competition and State Aid authorities.