On 4 April 2019 the European Commission ("EC") published an in-depth report on "Competition policy for the digital era" (the "Report"). Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager appointed a panel of three special advisers to prepare the Report (see EC press release here), which is intended to contribute to the EC's ongoing deliberations regarding how competition policy should develop to ensure pro-consumer innovation in digital markets (see the Report here).
On the day of the Report, Commissioner Vestager remarked that authorities need to be vigilant to ensure that powerful companies "don't misuse their power to shut down opportunities for innovators to the detriment of consumers who will want the choice" (see speech here). This builds upon concerns previously expressed by the Commissioner (for example, during a January 2019 conference to inform the Report) that real competition may be hindered when a small number of companies control substantial volumes of data (see presentation here).
Read the full briefing here.
Contacts
Kyriakos Fountoukakos
Managing Partner, Competition Regulation and Trade, Brussels
Key contacts
Kyriakos Fountoukakos
Managing Partner, Competition Regulation and Trade, Brussels
Disclaimer
The articles published on this website, current at the dates of publication set out above, are for reference purposes only. They do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Specific legal advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking any action.