Economic strife has stripped resources from Greece’s Competition Commission and prompted a slump in transactions. But the dearth in merger filings has allowed staff to concentrate on cartel and abuse of dominance cases. Meanwhile, a tough new law has introduced harsher penalties for antitrust violations. Emily Gray, Rachel Bull and Faaez Samadi meet the firms handling the raft of behavioural cases

Greece’s Competition Commission is operating with a reduced budget and fewer staff thanks to stiff austerity measures introduced by the government. But the agency has proved resilient, maintaining an active enforcement profile and lobbying successfully for changes to the country’s competition law. GCR talks to commission president Dimitrios Kyritsakis

Greece is fighting for its economic life. Its survival depends on a multi-billion euro loan from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Without it, Greece will default on its debts, placing severe strain on the resources of the European Central Bank and driving up the cost of borrowing. But to secure the bailout, Greece must pass punishing austerity measures that will strip public services bare. In the face of such turmoil, the country’s Competition Commission is in danger of becoming an irrelevance.