The Competition Commission, which has been vacant since the beginning of July, will resume its work in the near future. Economic Affairs Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) has nominated his four members for the years until 2026, he said at a press conference on Tuesday. Among them is the vice president of the Federal Administrative Court (BvWG), Michael Sachs, who is close to the ÖVP, who had applied for the position of head of the Federal Competition Authority (BWB), but whose nomination was blocked by the Greens. .
Jörg Zehetner will also remain on the Competition Committee. He had put Sachs first as chairman of the selection committee, although Sachs does not meet the requirements, according to a report commissioned by the Greens. The position of general manager of the BWB requires professional experience in competition law. Administrative court judges dealing with antitrust rules in individual cases failed to meet the requirements, ORF radio station quoted “Ö1” from the report.
Both positions incompatible
When asked what Sachs’ nomination meant for the BWB, the ministry replied: “The BWB and the Competition Committee are appointed independently of each other. However, if Sachs were to become BWB boss, he would have to resign from the Competition Committee.”
Kocher has also nominated Maria Mercedes Ritschl, corporate law expert at the Association of Industry and Commerce, for a new term in office. Markus Reisinger, an economist at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, is new to the committee. He replaces Stephan Wiener.
The other four members of the eight-member advisory council are nominated by the social partners. These continue to delegate Andreas Graf for the Chamber of Agriculture, Rosemarie Schön for the Chamber of Commerce, Ernst Tüchler for the ÖGB and Helmut Gahleitner for the Chamber of Labour.
Ministry took time with the nomination
The Competition Commission, which is based in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, cannot act at the moment because the mandates of its members expired at the end of June and the Ministry of Economic Affairs had not yet appointed its four representatives. The activities of the Competition Commission are carried out on an honorary basis, its members only have an advisory role. For example, the committee makes proposals about once a year for the focus areas of the BWB’s investigations.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
