The ASEAN Competition Action Plan (ACAP) calls for at least five peer reviews of ASEAN competition regimes to be undertaken by 2025. Following the enactment of competition law in nine ASEAN Member States (AMS), ASEAN endeavors to ensure the effectiveness of its competition regimes by setting-up institutions, developing implementing regulations and procedural guidelines, and developing the capacity of its competition officials to ensure proper enforcement of its laws and policies.

To ensure the existing competition regimes are aligned with changing market dynamics and is in accordance with international best practices, the AEGC has developed has developed an ASEAN Peer Review Guidance Document that will facilitate its peer review efforts. The exercise will help countries improve their policies and structures.

The Peer Review is implemented on voluntary basis and takes into account the different stages of maturity of the different AMS national competition law regimes. In addition, the peer review exercise will provide opportunities for national competition authorities to learn and share lessons learnt in the competition enforcement.

The ASEAN Competition peer review process will involve the participation of not only AMS as peer reviewers, but also external consultants to gain an independent view of the competition regimes of the peer reviewed country. Various competition policy and law-related stakeholders will also be involved in the assessment to gain a comprehensive picture on the assessment.

The ASEAN CPL Peer Review Process builds upon the ASEAN Self-Assessment Toolkit on Competition Enforcement and Advocacy, which was developed by the AEGC in 2017.

The Guidance Document was developed with the support from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund.