On November 27–28, the International BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre, together with the FGV Law School and the Brazilian competition authority CADE, held the 4th BRICS+ Digital Competition Forum in Rio de Janeiro. The event was organized with the support of the UNCTAD Research Partnership Platform.
During the forum, representatives of BRICS+ antitrust authorities, experts, and members of the academic community discussed coordinated approaches to addressing the complex challenges of the modern digital economy, as well as AI competitive advantage and ecosystem theories of harm and their applications. In addition, experts from the BRICS Centre will presented a report titled 'From Fields to Futures: Competition, Financialization, and Digitalization in Global Grain Value Chains'.
AGENDA:
27/11 (Thursday) DAY 1
9.00- 9.30 Welcome coffee
9.30- 9.45 Introductory remarks
- Nicolo Zingales, Director, E-Commerce Research Cluster; Professor, FGV Rio de Janeiro Law School
- Gustavo Augusto Freitas de Lima, President, CADE
- Alexey Ivanov, Director, BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre; Professor, HSE University Law School
- Teresa Moreira, Director, UNCTAD Competition and Consumer Protection Division
- Luca Belli, Director, FGV’s Centre for Technology and Society; Professor, FGV Rio de Janeiro Law School
9.45- 11.15 State of play in digital markets
Description: This session brings together representatives from each of the BRICS competition authorities to share key enforcement developments in digital markets over the past year. Panelists will present major cases and investigations, highlighting the unique economic, legal, and institutional challenges faced in addressing digital platform conduct in their jurisdictions. In particular, it is expected that each contributor will provide an update on theories of harm and remedies that have been applied or considered in digital cases.
Moderator: Teresa Moreira, Director, UNCTAD Competition and Consumer Protection Division
Speakers:
- Gustavo Augusto, President, CADE
- Itumeleng Lesofe, Acting Manager, Market Inquiry Division, Competition Commission of South Africa
- Adilya Vyaseleva, Deputy Head, FAS Russia (online)
- Representative, Competition Commission of India (online)
- Wang Jirong, Officer, Digital Economy Enforcement Division, Antimonopoly Enforcement Department I, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (online)
- Fanshurullah Asa, Chairman, Indonesia's Competition Commission
- Cielo Elainne Rusinque Urrego, Superintendent of Industry and Commerce, Colombia
11.15-11.30 Small coffee break
11.30-13.00 Ex ante regulation: the Brazilian proposal and other emerging BRICS approaches
Description: This session introduces the key aspects of the Brazilian proposal for ex ante regulation of digital platforms, and discusses how it compares to that of other jurisdictions. It highlights advantages and disadvantages and explores the requirements for an effective implementation framework, including from the perspective of resources, legal certainty, public participation and rights of third parties.
Moderator: Caio Mario da Silva Pereira Neto, FGV Law School São Paulo
Provocateurs:
- Alexandre Ferreira, Program Director, Brazilian Ministry of Finance
- Beatriz Kira, Assistant Professor, University of Sussex Law School
- Camila Pires, Commissioner, CADE
- Vitor Jardim Barbosa, Chief of Staff, CADE
Discussants:
- Vikas Kathuria, Professor, Munjal University Law School
- Thomas Cheng, Professor, University of Hong Kong
- Vitoria Oliveira, PhD Candidate, USP Law School
- Representatives from BRICS + competition authorities
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00-16.00 From Fields to Futures: Competition, Financialization and Digitalization in Global Grain Value Chains
Description: this panel will feature a presentation of the BRICS Centre’s very recent study on competition aspects of global grain value chains with the report’s key authors giving a substantial presentation first followed by comments and feedback by the representatives of the BRICS competition authorities.
Moderator: Gustavo Augusto Freitas de Lima, President, CADE
Report presenters
- Alexey Ivanov, Director, BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre, Professor, HSE University Law School
Discussants:
- Teresa Moreira, Head, Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, UNCTAD
- Lílian Marques, Chief Economist, CADE
- Adilya Vyaseleva, Deputy Head, FAS Russia (online)
- Carolina Saito, General Coordinator for Antitrust, CADE
- Simon Roberts, Professor, University of Johannesburg, Department of Economics
- Caio Mário da Silva Pereira Neto, Professor, FGV São Paulo Law School
- Juan David Gutiérrez Rodriguez, Associate Professor, Universidad de Los Andes School of Government (online)
- Eduardo Molan Gaban, Director, Brazilian Institute for Competition and Innovation
- Ettore Lombardi, Professor, University of Florence Law School
- Representatives of the BRICS+ Competition Authorities
16:00- 16.30 Coffee break
16.30-18.00 Digitalization of Global Value Chains: A Blindspot for Competition Law?
Description: This panel will focus on one particular aspect of digitalization in industrial value chains – instead of talking yet again about consumer digital markets and the “usual suspects”, this panel proposes to explore the competitive patterns of platformization in productive value chains (with a focus and agriculture and food production) with topics for discussion including the intersections of competition and sustainability, and ecosystemization of global value chains.
Moderator: Alexey Ivanov, Director, BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre; Professor, HSE University Law School
Provocateurs:
- Simon Roberts, Professor, University of Johannesburg, Department of Economics
- John Newman, Professor, University of Memphis Law School
- Luis Braido, Professor, FGV Rio de Janeiro, School of Economics and Management
Discussants:
- Victor Fernandes, Commissioner, CADE
- Pierre Regibeau, Professor, University of Essex, Department of Economics (online)
- Lilian Marques, Chief Economist, CADE
- Representatives of the BRICS+ Competition Authorities
18.00 Closing remarks and drink reception
28/11 (Friday) DAY 2
10.00- 10.30 Welcome coffee
10.30- 12.30 AI competitive advantage
Description: This session examines how AI providers consolidate competitive advantage by capturing value from the data, content, and labor generated by their users. It will explore the implications of such value appropriation for market power, entry barriers, and competitive dynamics in digital markets. Panelists will analyze how current legal frameworks address— or fail to address—these issues. The discussion aims to inform antitrust policy and enforcement in the age of AI.
Moderator: Nicolo Zingales, FGV Rio Law School
Provocateurs:
- Thomas Cheng, Professor, University of Hong Kong Law School
- Luca Belli, Professor, FGV Rio de Janeiro Law School
- Giuseppe Mazziotti, Professor, Católica University Lisbon Law School
- Vitor Ido, University of São Paulo Law School
Discussants:
- Itumeleng Lesofe, Acting Manager, Market Inquiry Division, Competition Commission of South Africa
- Gustavo Augusto, President, CADE
- Camila Alves, Commissioner, CADE
- Paulo Henrique de Oliveira, Chief of Staff, CADE
- Representatives of the BRICS+ Competition Authorities
12.30-14.00 Lunch
14.00-16.00 Ecosystem theories of harm and applications
Description: This session delves into “ecosystem” theories of harm—where authorities assess how dominant digital platforms leverage control across intertwined markets (e.g., app distribution, content, payments, data flows) to distort competition. We unpack the conceptual shift from traditional, single-market impacts (like price or output) to cross-market effects: quality, innovation, exclusion, self‑preferencing, and value extraction from orchestrators and complementors. Panelists will bring practical examples from the experience of competition law enforcement.
Moderator: Patricia Sampaio, FGV RJ
Provocateurs:
- John Newman, Professor, University of Memphis Law School
- Marcela Mattiuzzo, Professor, Institute for Public Law (IDP)
- Pierre Regibeau, Professor, University of Essex, Department of Economics (online)
- Bruno Carballa, Researcher, European Commission Joint Research Centre (online)
- Vikas Kathuria, Professor, Munjal University Law School
Discussants:
- Victor Fernandes, Commissioner, CADE
- Marcus Silveira de Sá, General Coordinator for Antitrust, CADE
- Bruno Renzetti, Chief of Staff, CADE
- Representatives of the BRICS+ Competition Authorities
16.00-16.30 Coffee break
16.30-18.00 Brainstorm: Digital Platforms & Critical Trade
Description: This roundtable will discuss how the tectonic plates of global trade are shifting. Digital platforms are no longer just for social media and e-commerce; they are rapidly moving into the foundational layers of our economy, reshaping how critical commodities — from grains and minerals to energy—are traded, tracked, and transacted. This interactive session is designed to generate actionable insights for building more resilient and fair markets. Using the global grain trade—and platforms like Covantis and Tract — as a live case study, we will: employ systems mapping to unpack both the pro-competitive benefits and anti-competitive risks; leverage group wisdom and diverse perspectives of the session participants to infer indirect effects of such platforms.
Moderator: Elena Rovenskaya, Program Director at Institute for Advanced System Analysis;
Discussion leads:
- Teresa Moreira, Head, Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, UNCTAD
- John Newman, Professor, University of Memphis Law School
- Ettore Lombardi, Professor, University of Florence Law School
- Andrés Calderón, Judge, Peruvian Competition Appeal Tribunal
- Arthur Sadami, Researcher, Research Fellow at FGV Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo Law Schools
Discussants:
- Representatives of the BRICS+ Competition Authorities
- All
18.00 Closing remarks and farewell