BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 3. Uzbekistan’s Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection Committee convened a roundtable discussion on antitrust regulation in the digital economy, bringing together representatives of domestic, foreign and global digital platforms, as well as experts from the World Bank, Trend reports via the committee.
The event, titled “Antitrust Regulation of Digital Platform Operators: International Experience, Trends and Recommendations for the Republic of Uzbekistan,” focused on emerging approaches to regulating digital markets and strengthening competition in the country’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
Opening the discussion, Deputy Chairman of the Committee F. Karabayev outlined the theoretical, legal and institutional foundations of antitrust oversight for digital platforms. He reviewed international regulatory practices, current global trends and prospects for further improving Uzbekistan’s competitive environment as digital markets continue to grow.
A keynote presentation was delivered by Alexey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Center and a World Bank expert. Ivanov examined recent developments in legislation governing digital platforms, highlighted new regulatory approaches emerging internationally and discussed their role in maintaining fair competition across digital markets.
Participants focused on ways to encourage innovation while ensuring a level playing field for market participants and protecting consumer rights. Discussions also addressed the need to modernize existing antitrust tools to better reflect the realities of platform-based business models.
Among the key issues considered were proposals to revise criteria used to determine market dominance among digital platforms, introduce specialized regulatory procedures for global technology platforms, remove barriers that restrict competition and lower obstacles to market entry for new participants. Attendees also explored options for strengthening the legal and institutional framework governing digital competition.
According to organizers, the recommendations and views expressed during the roundtable will help shape future competition policy reforms in Uzbekistan. Officials said the discussions would contribute to incorporating international best practices into the country’s regulatory framework and support efforts to ensure open, transparent and competitive digital markets.
