Submissions due by 6 September 2021

Submissions are now invited to the 2021 ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) Competition Law Essay Contest.

The Call for Papers through this Contest will support the Virtual ASEAN Competition Research Centre and regional discourse about the effective implementation of competition law in ASEAN. The Contest is organised by the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) and the ACCC, as part of the multi-phase Competition Law Implementation Program (CLIP) under the AANZFTA Economic Cooperation Support Programme (AECSP). In its fourth phase, CLIP focuses on supporting ASEAN competition agencies in building knowledge and practical expertise of competition policy and law through sharing resources, skills and experiences.

Contest Theme

Safeguarding competition - a post-pandemic response of ASEAN competition authorities

Policy makers, regulators, academicians and businesses have been formulating strategies to mitigate the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Competition policy and law have important roles to play in these plans by supporting economies in their recovery. In 2020, the AEGC issued a joint statement committing competition authorities to enforce national competition laws and to monitor markets in times of the pandemic.

The 9th ASEAN Competition Conference, with the theme of ‘Safeguarding Competition – a post pandemic response of ASEAN Competition Authorities’, will be held from 1-2 December 2021. The conference offers a platform for regional discussion on how competition policy and laws can contribute towards post-pandemic economic recovery, including by ensuring that essential products are available to consumers at a fair price. Competition policy and laws can also protect Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from unfair business practices.

The AANZFTA Competition Law Essay Contest welcomes submissions addressing one or more of the following five (5) sub-themes:

1. Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ASEAN Markets;
2. Maintaining Business Compliance;
3. Increasing Importance of Competition Policy for MSMEs in the Post-Pandemic Era;
4. The Rapid Shift Towards the Digital Economy and the Risk to Competition Enforcement; and
5. Strengthening Cooperation in anticipation of future Crisis.

Prizes

AANZFTA Undergraduate Category

In addition to a certificate of commendation, selected winning essays will be considered for publication.

Open Category

In addition to a certificate of commendation, the winning entrant from each sub-theme will be invited to present their essays at the ASEAN Competition Conference in December 2021.  Selected winning essays will also be considered for publication.

Winners will be announced in October 2021.

Eligibility

The Contest invites submissions from two categories of entrants:

Category 1 – AANZFTA Undergraduate category

1. Must be a passport holder of any AANZFTA member countries; and
2. Must be currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in economics, commerce, law, international studies, or a related field from an accredited university.

Category 2 – Open category

1. Must currently hold a professional position in economics, commerce, law, international relations or a related field, in one of the ASEAN Member countries, Australia or New Zealand; or
2. Must be a passport holder of any AANZFTA member countries^[1]; and 
   • have been awarded at least a bachelor’s degree in economics, commerce, law, international studies, or a related field from an accredited university; or
   • be currently enrolled in a Masters or Doctorate level degree in economics, law, international studies, or a related field, from an accredited university.

Entrants can submit as a team consisting of up to two (2) members (all members must meet eligibility requirements).
All entrants must be over 18 years of age.

Language

All entries must be written in English.

Conditions of entry

1. All essays must be submitted and formatted in Microsoft Word at clip@accc.gov.au.
2. Citations must be in APA style (seventh edition) Refer to www.plagiarism.org for further information.
3. 2,000 to 3,000 words length, Font: Times New Roman, 12 points, 1.5 interlinear.
4. Include an abstract of no more than 250 words.
5. Only original and unpublished essays will be considered for evaluation.

Submission process

Please continue to monitor the following websites for information on the Contest: https://aanzfta.asean.org/aanzfta-sector-portals/competition-sector; https://www.asean-competition.org/aegc; and https://www.accc.gov.au/ 
 

Proudly supported by

AANZFTA Economic Cooperation Support Programme	Virtual ASEAN Competition Research Centre
ASEAN Secretariat	Competition and Consumer Commission Singapore
East Asia Forum	Vietnam Competition and Consumer Authority

Further inquiries, contact the ACCC CLIP Team at clip@accc.gov.au 

[1] AANZFTA member countries are: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam.

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