WASHINGTON / LJUBLJANA, March 27, 2026 — The head of Slovenia’s competition authority has raised concerns about the agency’s inability to challenge court decisions that overturn its rulings.
Andrej Matvoz, director of the Slovenian Competition Protection Agency, highlighted the issue while speaking at the annual spring meeting of the American Bar Association in Washington.
Matvoz said the authority faces significant challenges because it has no legal remedy if courts annul its decisions and send cases back for reconsideration. According to him, the regulator must restart proceedings even when it believes its findings were well supported.
He also noted that courts sometimes require the authority to demonstrate the negative effects of cartel conduct even in cases that qualify as restrictions “by object” under competition law. In one cartel case, Matvoz said the authority was unable to secure a ruling despite having documentary evidence and a confession from a company that had applied for leniency.
The regulator has sought assistance from the European Commission to address the issue, with the aim of ensuring more effective and consistent enforcement of European Union competition law.
