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International cooperation

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) works together with fellow regulators and other agencies outside the Netherlands. Consumer problems and business problems do not stop at the border. We help each other by exchanging knowledge on how to deal with regulatory problems. For each domain, we have different international cooperation networks.

On this page:

Competition at the international level

We collaborate with many organizations to make sure that businesses compete fairly with one another:

Competition authorities of other EU Member States

Competition authority of the European Commission

The European Commission (EC) also has its own competition authority, which is the Directorate-General for Competition (DG Comp). Teresa Ribera is the European Commissioner for competition.

ECN

The EU Member States and the EC collaborate in the European Competition Network (ECN).

ECA

The European Competition Authorities (ECA) is a cooperation body of competition authorities in the European Economic Area. ECA strives for increased cooperation between European competition authorities.

ICN

ACM takes an active part in the International Competition Network (ICN). ICN is an organization of competition authorities worldwide. ICN wishes to improve global cooperation between competition authorities.

OESO

ACM plays an active role in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD has a competition division.

FTAC

We have a Cooperation Protocol with the Fair Trade Authority Curacao (FTAC).

Consumer protection at the international level

Consumer markets more and more often extend beyond national borders. That is why international cooperation is needed to safeguard consumer rights.

CPC

We take part in the European cooperation body Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC). In this network, consumer protection authorities in the various Member States are able to call on each other’s help when combating violations that cross national borders.
For the coordination of such cross-border cases, every Member State has designated a “liaison office.” In the Netherlands, ACM has been given this duty. Next to our own requests for information and enforcement, ACM as “liaison office” also coordinates those of and directed to:

  • The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM)
  • The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa)
  • The Dutch Media Authority (CvdM)
  • The Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ)
  • The Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT)
  • The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA)

Such requests may come from Dutch regulators directed to other regulators abroad or vice versa.

ICPEN

We also have collaborations at the global level. ACM works together with over 40 consumer authorities in countries such as China and the United States in the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN).

Energy at the international level

The market for electricity and natural gas, too, is becoming more and more a regional or European market. That is why we work together at the international level.

ACER

ACER is an organization promoting better cooperation between electricity and natural-gas regulators in EU countries.

CEER

ACM also collaborates within the Council for European Energy Regulators (CEER). All European energy regulators sit on CEER on a voluntary basis.

European Commission

We take part in the Florence Forum (electricity) and the Madrid Forum (natural gas). These forums are discussion groups led by the European Commission. In addition to energy regulators, national governments and international trade associations are also represented. The goal of these forums is to create a single European energy market instead of separate, liberalized submarkets.

ERGEG

ACM also cooperates in the European Regulatory Group for Electricity and Gas.

Telecommunication and postal services at the international level

We also collaborate with regulators in other countries in areas such as telecommunications and postal services.

BEREC

All EU regulators for electronic communications and the European Commission work together in the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).

The cooperation network of the regulators themselves is called the Independent Regulators Group (IRG). The European Commission does not take part in this.

ERGP

The European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP) is a cooperation of all European postal services market regulators.

IRG - Rail

IRG – Rail (Independent Regulators’ Group – Rail) is a cooperation body between European rail regulators.

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