The goal is to strengthen existing cooperation, as well as prevent and counter corruption in the Public Administration and promote the proper functioning of the market more effectively.

The Chairman of the Italian Competition Authority, Roberto Rustichelli, and Milan’s Public Prosecutor, Marcello Viola, have signed a new memorandum of understanding.

The memorandum renews and reinforces the previous one signed in 2018, with the aim of strengthening existing cooperation, as well as preventing and countering corruption in the Public Administration and promoting the proper functioning of the market more effectively.

To this end, the memorandum provides an operational framework for the parties to exchange information regarding investigations, as well as criminal and administrative proceedings, within their respective areas of responsibility.

Specifically, the Authority will promptly send the Public Prosecutor’s Office any information and documents requested by the latter in the course of investigations and whenever the Authority’s enforcement activities bring to light criminal conducts.

The Public Prosecutor will send the Authority all unrestricted investigation documents pertaining to criminal offences affecting the proper functioning of the market and having a significant impact on consumers’ economic interests, or those which are useful in the application of rules on legality rating.

Cooperation is particularly important when it comes to the Authority’s new power to conduct inspections on premises, land and means of transport other than corporate ones, including the homes of managers, directors and members of staff. For the first time, the memorandum outlines the procedure through which the Authority can obtain the prior authorisation from the Public Prosecutor’s Office when inspections concern companies under the latter’s territorial jurisdiction.

The memorandum will remain in force for five years and is tacitly renewable. Its implementation will be monitored on an annual basis.

Rome, 30 January 2025