The current competition legal system has now been strengthened with the publication of Law no. 18/2003 of 11 June.
The new Competition Law integrates a legislative package that also includes the statutory instrument establishing the Competition Authority (Decree-Law no. 10/2003 of 18 January), which determined the dissolution of the Competition Council as well as a change of the responsibilities of the Directorate-General for Commerce and Competition.
The statutory instrument now published defines the articulation between the Competition Authority and the sectorial regulatory authorities, repealing Decree-Law no. 371/93 of 29 October, which established the former general regime for the protection and promotion of competition.
Also relevant to the legal framework applicable to competition is the Community Regulation which has recently been adopted - Council Regulation (EC) no. 1/2003 of 16 December 2002, on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty.
