OECD Peer Reviews of Competition Law and Policy: Tunisia

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Publication date
1 April 2022

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Tunisia underwent a peer review of its competition law and policy in 2021. Tunisia was one of the first countries in Africa and the Middle East to adopt a competition law in 1991. This law has been updated several times since then, most recently in 2015. Following a short overview of the historical evolution of this law, this report describes the legal framework and decisional practice under the law currently in force, which is primarily enforced by the Competition Department (DGCEE) of the Ministry of Trade and by the Competition Council.

Despite several revisions of the law, the report finds that there are areas for improvement. The recommendations were developed by lead examiners from Belgium, Canada, Japan and Kenya and were discussed at the OECD Global Forum on Competition in December 2021. They include:

reforming the institutional framework, amongst others by strengthening the mandate and resources of the Competition Council and aligning it with sectoral regulations;
stepping up enforcement efforts against anti-competitive practices, for example by promoting the use of the leniency programme and imposing adequate fines;
reviewing the criteria for merger notification and assessment, also through the introduction of a simplified procedure; and
strengthening advocacy and co-operation efforts, nationally, regionally and internationally.

This peer review is part of a wider project to foster procompetitive reforms in Tunisia, co-funded by the European Union.

Fostering competition in Tunisia

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VIDEO: Key findings of Tunisia's Peer Review of Competition Law and Policy

WHAT ARE PEER REVIEWS?

“Peer reviews” are a core element of the OECD work. The mechanisms of peer reviews vary, but they are founded upon the willingness of a country to submit its laws and policies to substantive questioning by other peers.

The process provides valuable insights into the country under study, getting to the heart of ways in which individual countries deal with competition and regulatory issues, from the soundness of its competition laws to the structure and effectiveness of its competition institutions.The reviews also incorporate targeted recommendations for changes in government policy.

» Access all competition country reviews

OECD GLOBAL FORUM ON COMPETITION

Since its creation in 2001, over 10 countries have already volunteered to undergo a peer review of its competition law and policy during the OECD Global Forum on Competition.

Each year, the Forum brings together each year high-level officials from more than 100 competition authorities and international organisations worldwide, from both OECD and non-OECD economies.

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