Prague, 25 April 2025 — The Chairman of the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS), Petr Mlsna, has called for a shift in competition enforcement from a purely reactive model to a more proactive and preventive approach, arguing that traditional methods are no longer sufficient to address modern market challenges.
Speaking at the ICC Czech The Antitrust conference in Prague on 24 April, Mlsna proposed several legislative reforms aimed at empowering the authority to act more decisively against anti-competitive conduct. Key among them are a “call-in” model for merger review, the ability to impose general market-wide measures, and sanctions on individuals involved in serious cartel conduct.
Mlsna stressed the need for competition authorities to act not just as “rule-keepers” but as “architects of the market environment,” capable of shaping regulations and identifying distortions before harm is done. “We must respond flexibly to rising forms of tacit collusion and exclusionary strategies by dominant firms,” he said.
The proposed “call-in” model would allow the Office to review mergers that fall below standard turnover thresholds but may still pose competition risks. Another tool—“measures of a general nature”—would permit temporary, market-specific interventions such as mandatory merger notifications or imposed remedies in persistently distorted sectors.
A particularly notable shift would be the introduction of individual sanctions for persons involved in cartels, a measure Mlsna argued would boost accountability and encourage whistleblowing.
Although the original legislative proposal is unlikely to pass in its current form, Mlsna confirmed that the Office will revise and reintroduce the package in 2026, supported by further stakeholder workshops and inter-agency cooperation.
The initiative marks a significant step in aligning Czech competition enforcement with evolving EU practices and the demands of today’s fast-changing markets.
