The seminar is organised by the OECD-GVH Regional Centre for Competition (RCC) as part of the Single Market Programme of the European Commission. The seminar will be led by Mr. Francisco Marcos, Professor of Law at IE Law School, and Ms. María Pilar Canedo, Senior Competition Expert at the OECD.

The event will explore deterrence as a cornerstone of EU competition law. It will cover the economic rationale for deterrence, judicial review of fines and remedies, the role of damages actions, and the contribution of courts in securing effective and proportionate sanctions. The topics will be discussed by competition law experts from OECD member countries. Participating judges will be encouraged to engage in Q&A sessions with the experts and to exchange experiences with one another, thereby further promoting professional cooperation. In addition, hypothetical case exercises involving all participants will provide an excellent opportunity to apply the lessons of the workshop in practice.

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We encourage national judges who wish to deepen their knowledge of competition law, particularly in the field of deterrence, to attend our seminar. Registration is open to national judges, prosecutors and apprentice national judges dealing with competition law issues in one of the EU Member States, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Each applicant is requested to indicate their prior experience in general European competition law. In addition, a good command of English is a prerequisite for registration.

Participation in the seminar is free of charge; the costs will be covered by EU and GVH funds.

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One place will be reserved for one applicant from each of the eligible countries. In case of multiple applications from the same country, candidates will be selected on the basis of a number of criteria, including the applicants’ institution, position, years of relevant experience and previous pertinent training.

Participants shall make their own travel arrangements and their travel costs (economy class) will be reimbursed by the organisers upon receipt of the invoice and other necessary documents after the seminar. Please note that the costs of local transportation (taxi, airport transfer, public transport) and travel insurance will not be covered. The organisers will take care of the reservations and cover the costs of accommodation for three nights between 18 and 21 November 2026. In addition, participants will receive lunch on both days of the seminar and will be invited to a welcome dinner at a restaurant in Budapest on 19 November 2026.

Please be informed that actual participation in the entire training is a necessary precondition for reimbursement, which implies that if the participant cannot attend the seminar for any particular reason, the organisers will not be able to reimburse any of the costs incurred. It is also important to underline that the participant will be liable for refunding any costs incurred due to the modification or cancellation of an application that has already been accepted by the event organisers. 

Please note that the deadline for submitting your registration is 17 September 2026. Applicants will be notified by 25 September if their registration has been accepted.

Registration link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/XKuqrHR9T0?origin=lprLink

Should you require any further information or have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Miranda Molnár (e-mail address: molnar.miranda@gvh.hu, phone number: +36 30 693 8718).