The Commerce Commission and Canada's Competition Bureau have signed a cooperation arrangement which will enable them to work more closely together in terms of sharing information and providing investigative assistance on cross-agency competition matters.

The arrangement has been signed in Vancouver by Commission chairman Mark Berry and Competition Bureau Commissioner John Pecman.

 
 Mark Berry and John Pecman sign the arrangement.

It is the Commission's second competition cooperation arrangement with the Bureau as it signed another three-way agreement with them and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in October 2000. 

The new arrangement allows for better cooperation on international enforcement. The arrangement allows the Commission to share compulsorily acquired information and provide investigative assistance to the Bureau. The Bureau will also be able to share confidential information with the Commission.

Commission chairman Mark Berry says international collaboration helps to ensure markets remain competitive, and this results in better prices and choices for consumers.

The Cooperation Arrangement between the Commissioner of Competition (Canada) and the New Zealand Commerce Commission in Relation to the Sharing of Information and Provision of Investigative Assistance is available here.