After the establishment of the rules to select and appoint the members to the National Competition Authority (the “NCA”) by means of Joint Resolution No. 1/2025; the Industry and Trade Secretariat of Argentina resolved, by means of Resolution No. 93/2025 dated April 16, 2025, to initiate the process to fill the positions corresponding to the members of the NCA pursuant to the Antitrust Law No. 27,442 (the “Antitrust Law”).
It is worth noting that, pursuant to the Antitrust Law, the NCA will be comprised by the President and the Commissioners of the Defense of Competition Tribunal, the Anticompetitive Conducts Secretariat, and the Economic Concentrations Secretariat.
Furthermore, the Industry and Trade Secretariat of Argentina resolved to constitute and convene the jury responsible for the selection of the members of the NCA and their respective alternates. Pursuant to the Antitrust Law, such jury will be composed by the National Treasury Attorney, the National Minister of Production, a representative of the National Academy of Law, and a representative of the Argentine Association of Political Economy.
Pursuant to Resolution No. 93/2025, the members appointed to the jury responsible for the selection of the members of the NCA are the following: Luis Andrés Caputo and Esteban Marzorati for the Ministry of Economy; Santiago María Castro Videla and Juan Ignacio Stampalija for the National Treasury Attorney; Christian Ruzzier and Isidro Guardarucci for the Argentine Association of Political Economy; and Rafael Manovil and Guillermo Cabanellas for the National Academy of Law.
The establishment of the NCA will imply, among other things, that the National Commission for the Defense of Competition (CNDC) will cease its activities as the technical agency of the Industry and Trade Secretariat of Argentina, which is currently the transitory enforcement authority of the Antitrust Law. On the other hand, it will result in the implementation of an ex ante and suspensive merger control system one year after the establishment of the NCA.
Lastly, on April 24, 2025, by means of Resolution No. 514/2025, the Ministry of Economy of Argentina resolved to appoint the Public Contest Secretariat responsible for promoting the qualifications and background public contest process to select the members of the NCA. Pursuant to this Resolution, the Public Contest Secretariat shall be Karen Valeria Vázquez and her respective alternate María Belén Valenzuela.
