The
panel, moderated by EPC analyst Marta
Pilati, was composed by: Maria
Jaspers, Head of Unit Antitrust case support and policy, European
Commission - Karin Lunnin, Deputy
Director General, Swedish Competition Authority - Philippe Lambrech, Chair of BusinessEurope Legal Affairs Committee
Director-Secretary General, Federation of Enterprises in Belgium – Yves-Emmanuel Bara, Counsellor for
Competition/State aid, French Permanent Representation to the European Union and
Fabian Zuleeg Chief Executive,
European Policy Centre.
The engaging discussion has acknowledged the success of
the European Competition Policy so far, as it represents the backbone of the
Single Market. Despite that, the huge changes in the international environment
and the challenges European businesses are facing require a rethinking of the
Competition Policy.
From Chinese state owned enterprises and subsidies, the
need to assure a level playing field, to digital transformation, including AI,
with all its implications for the strategic autonomy, the EU has to adapt its
regulatory framework. Among the panellists there was broad agreement that some
changes to competition policy are needed in the short term to ensure its
fitness to a changing economy.
However, many questions on how to achieve this
are still open and unanswered. There are already proposals from Member States for
a renovated competition policy: the Franco – German manifesto and the Dutch
proposal. The Commission will soon deliver a new industrial strategy which
needs to be linked to competition policy and its possible reforms.
Among the panellists
there was broad agreement that some changes to competition policy are needed in
the short term to ensure its fitness to a changing economy. However, many
questions on how to achieve this are still open and unanswered. There are
already proposals from Member States for a renovated competition policy: the
Franco – German manifesto and the Dutch proposal.
The Commission will soon deliver
a new industrial strategy which needs to be linked to competition policy and
its possible reforms.