– Our ambition is to make Bergen a capital for competition policy – not only in Norway but in the Nordic countries and in time perhaps in Europe, said the Director General for Competition, Knut Eggum Johansen.
During a seminar on March 17, he presented the plans to establish a national centre for competition policy in collaboration with the University of Bergen (UiB) and the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH).
At the same time, the Minister for Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs Rigmor Aasrud announced that the Ministry is prepared to support the start of the centre with NOK 500 000.
– The conditions for building up a national centre for competition policy in Bergen are very good, said Aasrud. She points out that Bergen has an extensive academic environment with an interest in and knowledge of competition economics and competition law.
Result of the move
The establishment of the centre can be seen as a result of the move by the Competition Authority from Oslo to Bergen. The Director points out that the interaction and cooperation between the Authority and the academic environment at UiB and NHH has always been very good.
– Competition policy is interdisciplinary, and it is important to ensure the interaction between the fields of law and economics. The new centre will build on the expertise that already exists at UiB, NHH and the Competition Authority, said Eggum Johansen.
Interdisciplinary
The Bergen Centre for Competition Law and Economics (BECCLE) will, among other things, collect the permanent academic staff at UiB and NHH, postdocs and PhD students working on competition policy issues into a single environment. The centre will play an active role both in research and education and by organizing seminars and conferences in the field of competition policy.
The news about the centre was released at a seminar organized by the Competition Authority in connection with the end of Knut Eggum Johansen’s term as Director General for Competition at the end of March.