20/06/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 20 June, the ambassadors of the member states to the European Union ('Coreper') gave their formal green light to the inter-institutional agreement between the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council and the European Parliament of 30 May on increasing the resources available to the national competition authorities (NCAs) (see EUROPE 12030). Amongst other things, this text aims to improve cooperation between NCAs and the European Commission, to better fight anti-competitive practices. “Effective enforcement of competition rules is necessary to protect consumers from illegal business practices that keep the prices of goods and services artificially high”, said Emil Karanikolov, the Bulgarian minister for the economy. The ministers and the European Parliament must now give their final agreement to the text before it can enter into force. (LT)