Options for reforming Swiss competition authorities

The Federal Council is having the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) examine options for institutional reforms of the Swiss competition authorities. Based on the recommendations of the legal expert commission «Reform Wettbewerbsbehörden», it has instructed the EAER to prepare a consultation process for a reform of the competition authorities by mid-2025. In view of the planned consultation process, the ‘Think Tank Fairer Wettbewerb’ has commissioned a study on the institutional reform of Swiss competition authorities from an economic perspective. On the one hand, the study sharpens the understanding of competition and distortion of competition from an economic perspective, and on the other hand, it examines Swiss competition authorities from a political economy perspective and identifies opportunities for improvement in organisation and procedures.