The Autorité de la concurrence (French: [ɔtɔʁite də la kɔ̃kyʁɑ̃s]; French for 'Competition Authority') is France's national competition regulator. Its predecessor, the Competition Council, was established in the 1950s. The Competition Authority is an , responsible for preventing anti-competitive practices and monitoring the functioning of markets. It aims to ensure respect for the law linked "to the defense of a sufficient market competition".