Office for the Protection of CompetitionGovernment

The Office for the Protection of Competition is the central state administration authority responsible for safeguarding market competition and consumer welfare in the Czech Republic. Operating from Brno to preserve its institutional independence from the central ministries in Prague, it enforces antitrust laws, assesses corporate mergers, prevents abuse of dominant market power, and oversees public procurement and state aid compliance. Founded in 1991 during the post-communist transition to a market economy, the office was substantially modernized and harmonized with European Union regulatory standards through the Czech Competition Act of 2001.