Recent Developments of Competition Advocacy in Brazil: The New Institutional Strategy of CADE’s Internship Program

Abstract

Since mid 1990’s the Brazilian Competition Tribunal (CADE) holds a biannual Internship Program. In each term of the program students from all over the country experience the daily life, having both practical and theoretical contact with antitrust law and policy, for they get involved in the major challenges of the country practice in competition policy. These last four editions have attained an outstanding accomplishment. After a thoroughly planning and reformulation of the program five strategies have been defined: internationalization, diversity, meritocracy, access to knowledge and intra-governmental advocacy. This papers aims to highlight the restructuration of CADE’s Internship Program in 2009, focusing in the new institutional strategy developed, and the results achieved. CADE’s Internship Program constitutes one of the most powerful tools of the Brazilian Competition Policy System to broaden and disseminate the competition culture along the country and, since 2009, also Latin America, representing an important contribution to the efforts to create adequate institutions to enhance and promote development in Brazil.