50 years of the OECD Guidelines: Contributions, limitations, and what is needed next
Recommendations for the OECD and member governments on the future implementation of the Guidelines
Our work on competition
OECD Watch helps civil society use the Guidelines’ standards to raise concerns about anti-competitive practices that may affect workers, consumers or other responsible business issues.
Are you a member of civil society exploring the impact of anti-competitive practices on workers rights, consumers, or other responsible business issues? Reach out if we can help.
We helped push for text clarifying that companies can collaborate to identify and address harms without being in breach of competition laws. We will continue to advance reflection on the nexus between competition standards and wider responsible business conduct issues.
The Guidelines promote an an important balance: companies should be able to collaborate on responsible business conduct initiatives where appropriate, while sustainability commitments should not be used as a cover for anti-competitive behaviour. We support deeper focus on competition as it relates to responsible business conduct.
What the OECD Guidelines say
The OECD Guidelines expect companies to compete fairly and comply with applicable competition rules. Companies should:
- Comply with competition laws and regulations in all jurisdictions where their conduct may have anti-competitive consequences.
- Avoid anti-competitive practices such as price-fixing, market allocation and other forms of collusion.
- Avoid using competition law as an unjustified reason not to collaborate with other companies on responsible business conduct initiatives where such collaboration is appropriate.
- Ensure recruitment and employment practices comply with competition rules, including by avoiding wage-fixing, no-poach and similar agreements between employers.
- Cooperate with competition authorities by responding promptly and comprehensively to information requests and following applicable legal safeguards.
Get involved
Want to learn more about OECD Watch’s work on this issue? Get in touch with us to find out more about our advocacy and resources, or to discuss how the OECD Guidelines can support your work. Reach out directly.
Recursos relacionados
Competition factsheet
Get a practical overview of what the OECD Guidelines say about competition. Available in:
English
Arabic
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Related NCP complaints
See complaints in which competition issues have been raised by civil society.
Review complaints here
How to use the Guidelines
The OECD Guidelines provide civil society with a framework for engaging companies, governments and other decision-makers on responsible business conduct. You can use the Guidelines to:
Help communities and other affected people understand the standards companies are expected to meet and the rights and protections they can demand.
Use the Guidelines to talk to companies about their impacts and demand that they prevent, address and remedy harm.
Use the Guidelines to advocate for strong laws, policies and corporate practices that protect people and the planet and hold companies accountable.
When a company falls below the standards in the Guidelines, you can bring a complaint to an NCP and seek accountability and remedy.
Noticias y publicaciones relacionadas
Short guide to the Guidelines for civil society
Understanding and using the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct
