David & Goliath: how young competition agencies can succeed in fighting cross-border cartels

How can small and young agencies cope and target cross border cartels? This paper explores the related challenges and puts forward a pragmatic tool to break down international cooperation barriers. Given the efforts of the ICN in seeking ways and means to operationalise cross-border cooperation in investigation of cases as well as those of selected UNCTAD member States in trying to trigger the international measures section of the UN Set on Competition, this brief contribution attempts to strengthen the ICN framework for non-confidential information sharing between competition agencies by incorporating specific key elements that are provided by the section F.4 related to voluntary consultations so as to address effectively the harmful effects of international cartels in emerging markets.