AdC is an independent administrative agency whose purpose is to defend competition, to the benefit of citizens. For the fourth year in a row, it’s one of the top 20 Competition Authorities around the world.
Year of creation
2003
Number of workers
93
Mission, values and vision of AdC
To investigate more, better, and faster
Be a reference as a public service provider and be able to deliver value to society
Strategic and Operational Goals
Detect, investigate, and sanction all anti-competitive practices
Ensure efficient and timely merger control
Promote competition in all economic sectors
Raise awareness in all society about competition rules and its benefits
Promote transparency among all stakeholders
Strengthen international cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally
The Board
President
Margarida Matos Rosa
Board member
Maria João Melícias
Board member
Miguel Moura e Silva
Priorities for 2022
- Continue to defend the Portuguese economy from anticompetitive behavior, prioritizing the most harmful behavior, such as cartels. Keep a strong focus on investigating behavior which, in current circumstances, has a more detrimental impact to households and firms;
- Investigate, through the AdC’s digital task force, strong evidence of abuse, namely by exclusion, and collusion in digital ecosystems;
- Considering current tensions and disruptions in supply chains, contribute to their normal flow, namely by combating anticompetitive behavior;
- Embed competition considerations in current efforts by policy-makers, so as to contribute to a resilient and innovative economic recovery: one that is structurally beneficial to consumers and firms.
- Promote open labor markets which convey more opportunities to workers and which preserve incentives to innovate;
- Continue to communicate the benefits of competition policy to stakeholders, prioritizing outreach initiatives with a stronger impact in a structurally more innovative and competitive economic recovery.
Read the Competition Policy Priorities.The AdC’s performance indicators and goals are materialized at SCORE – Objectives and Results Management System. Consult the AdC’s 2021 SCORE.
Learn about last year's activity
"We need more, not less competition to make economic recovery a reality after a crisis of as yet undefined dimensions." Read the 2020 Activity Report [in Portuguese]. Know the main achievements in 2021.
AdC in numbers
From 2017 to 2022, the Competition Authority’s activity led to numerous decisions and recommendations that contributed to economic development and consumer welfare.
36
decisions on anticompetitive practices
269
decisions on merger control
125
sector enquiries, opinions and recommendations
*last update: 1st quarter 2022