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‘BUDDING CONSUMERS’ PROJECT TAKES OFF IN SCHOOLS


PRESS RELEASE



PRESS RELEASE


ANTITRUST LAUNCHES ITS 'BUDDING CONSUMERS' PROJECT FOR SCHOOLS


Officers available for school visits to help spread a culture of free competition


The Antitrust Authority's ‘Budding Consumers’ project is under way. The Italian Competition Authority is to make its officers available to schools free of charge to explain in simple direct language to primary-school children in the fifth grade both the benefits of free competition and also the hidden traps in the incessant advertising to which they are constantly subjected.

The project enjoys the patronage of the President of the Republic and the support of the Ministry of Public Education and comes under the Authority's institutional activities designed to encourage the spread of a culture of free and fair competition and consumer protection.

Comic strips have been prepared to make it easier for pupils to grasp the concepts of competition and the snares lurking in advertising: the presentation of these will be preceded by a brief introduction and a multimedia show.

The tales contained in the comic strips are open-ended so as to stimulate the children to supply their own endings using drawings that will be judged by a Commission. The children whose drawings demonstrate the best understanding of the concepts will receive prizes from the Authority's Chairman.

At the school meetings, the popular publication “Antitrust of your fingertips” will be distributed to teachers and the families of the pupils.

At the end of each session teachers will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire to make helpful suggestions for the development of further editorial initiatives along the lines of the one described.

The comic strips and the application form for schools wishing to participate are available on the Authority's website. Applications may also be sent to the special e-mail address consumatoriinerba@agcm.it.

Rome, 2 April 2007