Global lawyers throw weight behind competition group

The formal launch of the long-awaited global competition network (GCN) has been announced in New York.

Competition agency heads from the European Commission, the US Department of Justice, Canada, Italy and Mexico have endorsed the initiative, which was first discussed at a meeting in February this year held in England and hosted by the International Bar Association.The GCN is expected to meet for the first time in Italy next spring.Canadian lawyer William Rowley QC, chairman of the IBA's global competition forum, said the international legal profession fully supported the GCN.'It is our aim to see the GCN work on key areas, including merger process convergence, which would benefit from greater understanding, cooperation and harmonisation,' said Mr Rowley.The IBA is taking the lead in a number of projects to assist the work of the GCN, including the launch this week of a global competition law Web site, with the text of the world's competition laws.LINKS: www.globalcompetitionforum.comNeil Rose