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What is the main role of the Portuguese Competition Authority?

AdC is an independent administrative agency whose purpose is to defend competition, to the benefit of citizens. For the fifth year in a row, it’s one of the top 20 Competition Authorities around the world. 

Ano de criação
Year of creation
2003
Nº de funcionários
Number of workers
93

Mission, values and vision of AdC

Ícone missão da AdC
To investigate more, better, and faster
Ícone visão da AdC
Be a reference as a public service provider and be able to deliver value to society

Strategic and Operational Goals

Martelo
Detect, investigate, and sanction all anti-competitive practices
Relógio
Ensure efficient and timely merger control
Pessoas
Promote competition in all economic sectors
Balança
Raise awareness in all society about competition rules and its benefits
Transparência
Promote transparency among all stakeholders
Bola
Strengthen international cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally

The Board

Nuno Cunha Rodrigues
President
Nuno Cunha Rodrigues
Maria João Melícias
Board member
Maria João Melícias
Miguel Moura Silva
Board member
Miguel Moura e Silva

Priorities for 2023

  • Detect, investigate and sanction anti-competitive abuses or behaviors with a more substantial impact on households and businesses, notably cartels and other illicit practices among competitors;
  • Pursue the investigation of evidence of abuse and collusion in the digital environment, through the actions of the AdC's digital team, in close cooperation with other European authorities;
  • Contribute to the economic growth of the Portuguese economy, reinforcing efforts to include the competition dimension in the spectrum of public policies;
  • Intensify the contribution to the promotion of an open and competitive labor market, in which employers adopt an independent and competitive conduct, contributing to more opportunities for workers and innovation;
  • Consolidate internal procedures of checks and balances, ensuring a legally and economically robust performance;
  • Intensify initiatives to disseminate and communicate the benefits of competition to the AdC's stakeholders;
  • Contribute, through an effective competition policy, to the ability of Portuguese companies to compete for merit in global value chains.

Read the Competition Policy Priorities for 2023.The AdC’s performance indicators and goals are materialized at SCORE – Objectives and Results Management System. Consult the AdC’s 2022 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 2021 Activity Report [in Portuguese]. Know the main achievements in 2022.

Autoridade da Concorrência

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.

47
decisions on anticompetitive practices
Martelo
315
decisions on merger control
Balança
143
sector enquiries, opinions and recommendations
Balão

*last update: 4th quarter 2022