On November 18, 2024, the Czech Television program Reportéři ČT aired a report on the Office for the Protection of Competition (Úrřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže, ÚOHS). The ÚOHS has published its responses to questions raised by the program, citing concerns that media constraints often lead to incomplete or decontextualized portrayals.
Reform of Public Procurement Review
The ÚOHS raised serious objections to the Ministry of Regional Development’s proposed reforms to the public procurement review process. The office criticized the lack of prior consultation and described the reform as flawed and hastily prepared. Key concerns include:
- Ambiguities in the proposed hybrid procedural model, which combines adversarial and administrative elements but lacks clarity.
- Potential delays rather than the promised acceleration of review processes.
- Removal of the two-tier decision-making system, a hallmark of Czech administrative law, which could lead to greater judicial backlog.
- Questionable transparency, as the proposed three-member decision panels dilute accountability.
The ÚOHS emphasized that its objections, grounded in 30 years of experience, were largely ignored during inter-ministerial consultations.
Allegations of Influence Over Other Institutions
Responding to claims by the NGO Rekonstrukce státu that its objections to the reform were echoed verbatim by other organizations, the ÚOHS stated that such alignment reflects the validity of its critiques rather than undue influence. It dismissed accusations of coercion as baseless and reiterated its open presentation of positions during public forums.
Handling of Competition Matters
The ÚOHS asserted its high performance in uncovering anti-competitive practices, highlighting recognition by the Global Competition Review. It rejected claims that public procurement reform could enhance its ability to address cartels or oligopolies, noting the separation of these agendas.
Media Criticism and Investigations
Addressing recent scrutiny from Seznam Zprávy and subsequent legal actions, the ÚOHS clarified it did not appeal a court decision halting an investigation into the media company. The office also refuted accusations of intimidation, maintaining that its unannounced inspection of Seznam’s headquarters adhered to standard competition procedures.
As public discourse intensifies around these issues, tonight’s program is expected to shed light on the controversy surrounding the ÚOHS and its role in shaping Czech competition policy.
