Olha Pishchanska for POLITICO: Ukraine will not relax competition rules after the war

To the Independence Day of Ukraine, as part of the Fair Play summer interview series, POLITICO published an interview with the Chair of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine Olha Pishchanska. Together with the journalist Pietro Lombardi, in the third part of the interview, the Chair discussed the future role of the competition authority in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and the current changes in the markets caused by the war.

First of all, the Chair of the AMCU emphasized that Ukraine will not relax competition rules after the war.

“We hear a lot of talk regarding the relaxation of our enforcement. However, we have to strike a balance between rebuilding rapidly the country and its economy and ensuring a level playing field for all actors. The AMCU will contribute to the creation of a legal framework with equal rules for Ukrainian and foreign investors. Nobody will be able to take advantage of the postwar reconstruction to build a monopoly or run afoul of competition rules... Do not expect lax competition enforcement in the post-war period,” said Olha Pishchanska.

At the same time, she expressed confidence that such a tough position will not scare investors away from Ukraine. At the same time, the Chair of the AMCU announced that the authorities are currently considering “a certain flexibility of the legal framework” that will regulate the reconstruction of the country.

“It’s too early to talk about specific measures, as it is impossible to predict the extent of the damage that the war will inflict on our country and economy. We are working on the development of templates for possible measures that will be adopted immediately after the end of the war. But already now we predict that the reconstruction of the country can increase competition in the markets that were previously highly concentrated”, – noted the Chair. As an example, she mentioned the situation in the energy sector, adding that this process was already in the making before the war.

Finally, Olha Pishchanska addressed to the European Union, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and other competition authorities around the world with words of gratitude: “Your support gives us the perception that we are doing everything right, and that it’s not just us moving towards the European Union, but also that the EU is ready to welcome us,” said the Chair of the AMCU.

Please be reminded, that earlier POLITICO published the first two parts of the interview with the Chair of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, in which the competition reform in Ukraine was discussed.