In place of David Gilo: Deri appointed interim antitrust commissioner

August 23, 2015   

שר הכלכלה, אריה דרעי, מינה את עו"ד אורי שוורץ לממלא-מקום זמני לממונה על ההגבלים העסקיים, לאחר שהממונה פרופ' דיויד גילה, הודיע על כוונתו לסיים את תפקידו בסוף החודש. עו"ד שוורץ שימש כיועץ המשפטי של רשות ההגבלים העסקיים מאז שנת 2011. בהודעת המינוי כתב דרעי כי עו"ד שוורץ עומד בתנאי הכשירות לתפקיד, אך לא הגיש את מועמדותו למילוי התפקיד באופן קבוע.

And this is what Deri wrote in the appointment letter:

On May 28, 2015, the Antitrust Commissioner informed me of his intention to terminate his position on August 31, 2015.

According to Section 41A of the Antitrust Law, the appointment of the Commissioner is made by the government based on the proposal of the Minister of Economy. Candidates for the position of Commissioner will be identified by a committee to identify candidates.

The search committee for the position of Commissioner is still in the formation stages, and in any case, it is clear at this stage that the task of appointing the Commissioner will not be completed before the expected departure of the current Commissioner in about ten days.

The Antitrust Law is designed to protect competition in the economy. The Antitrust Authority is the central body that operates and implements the law, and the Commissioner is the head of the Authority. Most of the powers contained in the Antitrust Law are granted directly and personally to the Commissioner. Therefore, the Commissioner's departure from his position without another person being appointed in his place is expected to paralyze the Antitrust Authority and accordingly could lead to serious harm to competition in the economy and, as a result, to the consumer public.

Therefore...I request to appoint Attorney Uri Schwartz to the position of Antitrust Commissioner on a temporary basis. I request that the temporary appointment be for a period of three months or until a permanent commissioner is appointed, whichever comes first.

Attorney Uri Schwartz has served as the Legal Advisor to the Antitrust Authority since 2011. He meets the eligibility requirements for the position but did not submit his candidacy to fill the position on a permanent basis.