Competition Monitoring

The Federal Competition Authority is authorized to carry out competition monitoring (Section 2 para. 1 no. 5 WettbG).

Competition monitoring is generally understood to mean a systematic survey of quantitative competition indicators in a large number of sectors, which makes it possible to compare the intensity of competition in these sectors with each other and over time. This means that the FCA (Federal Competition Authorits) now has more extensive investigative instruments at its disposal for the purposes of monitoring, in particular requests for information and information notices. Before the amendment to the law, monitoring could only be carried out on the basis of publicly accessible data. 

FCA commissioned a study from WIFO (Austrian Institute of Economic Research) on the feasibility of measuring and analyzing corporate concentration in Austria. WIFO's analysis showed that monitoring of corporate concentration based on the German model can in principle be implemented in Austria. Company concentration should be seen as a basic building block for competition monitoring.

International examples show that the introduction of effective competition monitoring is neither a simple nor a quick process. FCA is therefore carefully examining and promoting the initial implementation of appropriate monitoring in Austria. Suggestions can be sent to wettbewerb[at]bwb.gv.at (subject: Competition monitoring).

WIFO Machbarkeitsstudie Wettbewerbsmonitoring 2024 (only avaliable in German)