MONOPOLY AUTHORITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA Monopoly bodies According to the Law against limiting competition, competent for its enforcement are the following monopoly bodies: The Minister for Economy and the Monopoly authority. Monopoly authority structure The Monopoly authority comprises a Director, a Department for conducting managerial procedures and decision-making, and a Department for monitoring and analyses of market affairs. Director The work of the Monopoly authority is directed by a Director. The Director is appointed and dismissed by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, on proposal of the Minister of Economy. A department for conducting administrative procedures and decision-making The decisions of the Monopoly authority are being made in the decision-making department, which is formed as a separate department within the Management. The decision making department consists of three members. All decisions must be unanimous. The members of the decision-making department will be appointed and dismissed by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia with a four year mandate and with the possibility of re-election. Regarding necessary qualifications in the appointment procedure, the members of the decision-making department should meet criteria necessary for election of judges in Appeal courts. Department for monitoring and analyses of market conditions The department for monitoring and analyses of market conditions is formed with the aim of procuring information based on which the department for conducting administrative procedures and decision-making will make decisions. The department summarizes information about the state of competition, information regarding the market condition, performs branch analyses, product analyses etc. This department may request insight in the financial and other work of enterprises with previous court approval. Monopoly committee The Monopoly committee is formed within the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, which assesses the present condition of business concentration, assesses predictable trends and the development of concentrations from the aspect of economic policy, and especially the policy regarding competition, and an assessment of the dominant position and the mergers. The Monopoly committee has a coordinative role in order to provide creating, implementing and development of competition policy. The Monopoly committee comprises five members, which are appointed and dismissed by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, from the walk of professors, scientists, eminent businessman and experts. The Committee elects a chairman from its own members. In order to present its opinion regarding trends and the development of business concentrations in the Republic of Macedonia the Monopoly committee may use cumulative information from economic statistics from the Bureau of statistics of the Republic of Macedonia or another public institution that registers some relevant statistics regarding the participation of the three, six and ten largest enterprises in the relevant economic sectors. The monopoly committee presents its opinion in regular intervals, every two years. The monopoly committee submits its opinion to the Government of the Republic of Macedonia. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia submits it to the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia. Role of the Monopoly authority The role of the Monopoly management is to secure a competition atmosphere i.e. a correct interpretation of competition principles through efficient and successful implementation of the Law against Competition Limiting. This includes protection of those companies which in their work are trying to reach a better quality product, which is more economical and consumer friendly, however, through fair competition with other producers.