In this new episode, Margrethe Vestager (European Commission) delivers a keynote speech at a reception held in her honour in Paris on October 30th, 2024.

In her speech, she celebrates Concurrences' 20th anniversary and emphasizes the importance of competition policy in enhancing EU competitiveness, especially amid the green and digital transitions. It highlights the recent focus on resilience, innovation, and fair competition, addressing market power concentration and unfair practices. New tools like the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Foreign Subsidies Regulation were created to ensure fair digital competition and tackle foreign subsidies. Collaboration with international partners, especially the U.S. and UK, is essential to address global competition challenges. Lastly, M. Vestager underscores that competition policy should safeguard democracy and empower citizens against rising economic and political power concentration.

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1. Veronica Roberts, Kyriakos Fountoukakos, Eric White, Daniel Barrio, David Rasche, Dejan Einfeldt, Ruth Allen, The EU Commission announces 5 initiatives aimed at enhancing EU economic security in the face of risks arising from increased geopolitical tensions and accelerated technological shifts, 24 January 2024.

2. Laura Corbett, Florian Deuflhard, Stefan Frübing, Leonor Bettencourt Nunes, Thorsten Schiffer, Ariti Skarpa, The EU Commission investigates a proposed acquisition by a global software company prior to the abandonment of the merger by the parties (Adobe / Figma), 17 November 2023.

3. Simon Vande Walle, Conglomerate effects: The European Commission prohibits a dominant hotel booking platform from acquiring a flight booking platform based on an “ecosystem theory of harm” (Booking.com / eTraveli), 25 September 2023. 

4. Marie Cartapanis, Equal access: The European Commission accepts commitments offered by an operator consisting of preventing it from using the data of active sellers and ensuring equal access to its market place and subscription program (Amazon), 20 December 2022.

5. Nicholas Levy, Henry Mostyn, Paul Stuart, Patrick Todd, The EU General Court partially annuls the Commission’s decision against a Big Tech company for non-price-based abuses of dominance (Google Android), 14 September 2022.

6. Frédéric Pradelles, Mary Hecht, The EU General Court confirms the Commission’s decision to fine a Big Tech company for abusing its dominant position in online search by discriminating against comparison shopping services to favour its own offering (Google Shopping), 10 November 2021.