The second day of the III International Conference on Competition and Consumer Protection featured two high-level international panel discussions. The event, hosted in Tbilisi, is a collaborative organized collaboratively by the Competition and Consumer Agency, the National Bank of Georgia, the National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission of Georgia, the Communications Commission and the State Insurance Supervision Service of Georgia.

The conference continues to serve as a vital platform for promoting collaboration, sharing knowledge, and advancing policies that support a fair and transparent marketplace for businesses and consumers alike.

The first panel discussion of the second day at the III International Conference on Competition and Consumer Protection was moderated by, Levan Vepkhvadze, Executive Director of BAG. In his opening remarks, he emphasized the importance of enhancing competition policy, the primary objectives of the conference, and the need for heightened awareness and active engagement from the business sector. The panel discussion focused on competition policy enforcement in digital markets, addressing existing challenges and sharing best practices. The session featured insightful presentations by: Lukas Cavada  Executive Coordinator for International Affairs at the Austrian Federal Competition Authority; Peter Hoeltzenbein Senior Case Manager at the Bundeskartellamt; Cosmin Belacurencu Member of the Board, Secretary of State at the Romanian Competition Council and Bülent Açma Professor at Anadolu University. The panelists highlighted that active responsibility from the business sector is one of the essential factors in ensuring the protection of consumer rights.

The second panel discussion, titled “Consumer Education | Empowering Vulnerable Consumers in the Digital E-Commerce Landscape”, was moderated by Teresa Moreira, Head of the Competition and Consumer Policy at UNCTAD. During her remarks, she emphasized the importance of protecting the rights of vulnerable consumers through effective consumer education. Teresa highlighted that sharing experiences between countries is essential for advancing the field and addressing its challenges. She noted that the international conference in Georgia, now in its third iteration, serves as a vital platform for bringing together local and international experts to tackle key issues in consumer protection. Expressing her gratitude to the Chairman of the GCCA, Irakli Lekvinadze, for successfully organizing the event, Teresa also discussed UNCTAD’s initiatives in consumer protection. She shared global insights and underscored that strengthening consumer education is a critical tool for mitigating risks and preventing violations in the digital age.

The second panel discussion included insightful contributions from Christine Riefa Profesor, University of Reading (UK) | UNCTAD E-Commerce Working Group Expert (online); Daniel Mankowski, Vice-President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection of Poland; Derya Güngör Özçelebi Head of Department of Ministry of Trade of Türkiye and Sergo Sanikidze Head of the Consumer Rights Protection Department | GCCA. The session, conducted in a discussion format, focused on the challenges in consumer education and explored potential solutions to address these issues.

The Chairman of the Georgian Competition and Consumer Protection Agency (GCCA), Irakli Lekvinadze, expressed his gratitude to the participants and emphasized the primary goal of the international conference held in Georgia is to analyze the results achieved through both international and local practices, foster expanded discussions, and strengthen competition policy while improving consumer rights protection mechanisms in the country. "We actively cooperate with key international organizations such as UNCTAD, OECD, USAID, ICN, and ICPEN. International cooperation is strengthening, as evidenced by the now-traditional international conference on competition and consumer rights. Our goal is to strengthen competition policy in Georgia and enhance consumer rights protection mechanisms in line with international standards."

The international conference "Competition and Consumer Protection," organized by five Georgian regulatory bodies, opened on November 20 and will conclude on November 22. This three-day event is attended by delegations from 15 countries, as well as heads of competition and consumer protection agencies, government and parliamentary members, local and international experts, and representatives from public and regulatory bodies, academia, and the business sector.