EU Competition

What is the Digital Markets Act, and how does it help to keep digital markets fair and open❓ If you're new to the topic or simply curious about competition policy and how it benefits EU businesses and consumers, the COMPessentials series is for you. With these videos, we break down some of the key concepts behind EU competition policy 📺 🎬 In episode 4: the Digital Markets Act. Watch the episode on YouTube and subscribe to the EU Competition channel for more 👇 https://lnkd.in/geaqcM32

A very good start to my visit to Canada with Jeanne Pratt, Interim Commissioner of Competition. 🇪🇺🇨🇦 The cooperation between the European Commission and Competition Bureau Canada is excellent, built on strong ties, shared values and a common commitment to fair and undistorted competition. It is especially important that our approaches remain coherent and that we keep deepening our cooperation. More consistent, predictable and faster rules make a real difference for businesses operating on both sides of the Atlantic. And effective competition delivers concrete benefits too: more choice for consumers, stronger incentives to innovate and more resilient markets. Thank you, Jeanne, and the whole team for the warm welcome and the very useful exchange.

🎧 Listen to Director-General Anthony Whelan’s interview with RTE Radio 1. In the interview, they discussed DG Competition’s overall mission and how competition policy affects people’s lives. 🗣️ “What competition policy is about ultimately is making sure that the benefits of a market economy are felt by consumers and customers”. The conversation also touched on merger control, our enforcement work in digital markets, businesses' scale-up, and cooperation with National Competition Authorities, with a particular focus on Ireland. Listen here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gxeFPhJD

📅 On 21st October 2026, DG COMP and DG GROW hosted the 11th technical level meeting of the Joint European Forum for IPCEI (JEF-IPCEI), bringing together national experts from EU Member States.     🤝 The Joint European Forum is committed to enhancing the cooperation among Member States to boost the efficiency of Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) throughout their lifecycle and maximising their strategic potential.     ℹ️ ️Key takeaways from the meeting:    Updates on the progress achieved in seven IPCEI candidates, namely:  - Compute Infrastructure Continuum  - Innovative Nuclear Technologies  - Biotechnologies (biobased chemicals, biobased materials, biotech for food and feed)  - Critical Raw Materials   - Circular Advanced Materials for Clean Technologies.    Additionally, the JEF-IPCEI shared the state of play of the working groups on Member States' management of IPCEIs, on the implementation dashboard, on the IPCEI pilot evaluation and on synergies between IPCEIs and EU instruments.     🎯 By sharing best practices and recommendations aiming to streamline procedures, the JEF-IPCEI contributes to the objectives of the EU industrial strategy and helps ensure that future IPCEIs are well aligned with Europe’s strategic priorities.      Learn more about IPCEI, the JEF-IPCEI, and the Design Support Hub ⬇️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ghbfhx2F

We have opened an antitrust investigation into possible anticompetitive conduct by Omya in the supply of calcium carbonates to the paper industry 📃   Calcium carbonates are an important input in paper production, helping to reduce costs and improve paper quality.   🔍 We will investigate whether Omya has abused its dominant position and restricted customers’ ability to buy from competing suppliers through:   ▪️ Exclusive purchasing obligations, requiring customers to buy all or most of their calcium carbonates from Omya.   ▪️Exclusivity rebates, offering financial incentives to customers to source all or most of their supplies from Omya.   Effective competition matters: competitive and affordable supplies of calcium carbonates can help reduce costs for European paper mills, benefiting consumers.   The opening of a formal investigation does not prejudge its outcome.   For more information 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eA3ZK3yB

We have sent a Statement of Objections to KKR over potentially incorrect and/or misleading information provided during the investigation of its acquisition of NetCo ⚠️ ℹ️ During our 2024 review of the transaction, we assessed its impact on competition in the Italian wholesale broadband market, including concerns that FiberCop could deteriorate the terms of third-party access to its network infrastructure. In response to our requests for information, KKR explained that existing long-term agreements with third-party operators would remain in place and could not be changed unilaterally by FiberCop. We relied on this information to clear the transaction unconditionally in May 2024. 🔍 Following complaints from third-party operators alleging that FiberCop had unilaterally increased prices under these agreements, we opened a formal investigation in 2025. 🔴 Today, we take the preliminary view that KKR provided incorrect and/or misleading information about these agreements. Accurate information is essential for effective merger control. Companies must provide correct and non-misleading information in response to our requests. The Statement of Objections does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. For more information ⬇️  https://lnkd.in/gzMR_hXR

We have accepted commitments from Sanofi to address our concerns about a possible abuse of dominance in the market for enhanced flu vaccines 💉 Our investigation indicated that Sanofi may have spread false or misleading information about its competitor’s vaccine, Fluad, in Germany and France. Sanofi has committed to corrective actions and forward-looking measures, which we have made legally binding 🎬 Watch the video below to learn more about our concerns and how these commitments will help ensure that vulnerable patients can benefit from two enhanced flu vaccines equally recommended in Germany and France. 👉 Read the press release:  https://lnkd.in/e_DEbeFM