The Autorità garante della concorrenza e del mercato (the Italian Competition Authority) is an administrative independent Authority, established by Law no. 287 of 10 October 1990 ("The Competition and Fair Trading Act", hereinafter “the Act”), which introduced antitrust law to Italy for the first time. Subsequent laws endowed it with additional powers, the most important of which concern the repression of unfair commercial practices, misleading and unlawful comparative advertising and the application of conflict of interests laws to government-office holders. Being an independent Authority it has the status of a public agency whose decisions are taken on the basis of the Act without any possibility of interference by the Government.

The Antitrust Authority's independence is reinforced by the appointment procedures and prerequisites of its Chairman and three Members [Editor’s note: Section 23(1) of Decree Law 201/2011, which was converted with modifications from Law no. 214 of 22 December 2011 on the “Conversion to law, with modifications, of Decree Law no. 201 of 6 December 2011 on urgent measures for the growth, equity and consolidation of public finances," reduces the number of members from five to three, including the president. Such provision does not apply to members already appointed as of the date the Decree enters into effect]. They remain in office for a seven-year non-renewable term and are jointly appointed by the Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate. The prerequisites for the Chairman include a reputation for independence and service in other high-level institutional positions. The Members must also manifest the values of independence and are selected from among the magistrates of the State Council, the Court of Auditors and the Court of Appeals, full university professors of economics or jurisprudence and outstanding personalities from the economic sector with impeccable reputations of professionalism.

This collegial body (the Board) makes its decisions by majority rule.

This Board presently consists of Chairman, Giovanni Pitruzzella (appointed 18 November 2011), and three Members: Piero Barucci and Carla Bedogni Rabitti (appointed 3 March 2007) and Salvatore Rebecchini (appointed 12 February 2009).

The Secretary General of the Antitrust Authority (Roberto Chieppa) supervises operational and office management, and is appointed by the Minister of Economic Development acting on a proposal by the Chairman of the Authority. The staff includes permanent employees, fixed-term contracted positions and public administration seconded employees, and is currently made up of 277 units.