# How are Anti-Competitive Practices Evaluated?

When the **General Authority for Competition (GAC)** investigates any commercial practice (whether its goal is explicit or implicit, and whether its effect has actually occurred or was potential), it relies on a set of **discretionary criteria** to determine whether this practice violates competition or not.

According to **Article Eleven** of the Implementing Regulations, these criteria include the following:

## 1. Market Impact Size

The Authority looks at:

- **The percentage of suppliers and purchases affected** by the practice and their market shares.
- **The duration** during which the violation continued.

## 2. Impact on Prices and Products

The difference between the current situation and the hypothetical situation (if the practice had not occurred) is analyzed through:

- **Change in prices or quantities** from expected normal levels.
- Impact on **quality, variety, or innovation** in goods and services.

## 3. Consumer Interest

**The impact on consumer benefits** is a core criterion; any practice that harms the consumer (raising prices, reducing options, lowering quality) is considered a strong indicator of competition violation.

## 4. Freedom of Trade and Market Entry

The Authority studies the impact on:

- Freedom of **import and export**.
- The extent to which the practice aligns with **usual competitive behavior** in normal competitive conditions (is this a logical commercial behavior or artificial?).

These criteria ensure that decisions are not made arbitrarily, but based on careful economic analysis of the actual or potential impact on the market.

**Reference:** Implementing Regulations of the Competition Law (Article 11) - **General Authority for Competition**