Competition policy has traditionally been considered separate, if not antithetical, to industrial policy. Today, however, competition policy is increasingly becoming an ally of industrial policy and of the transition towards a sustainable economy.
The recommendations in this report of the Competition Policy and State Aid Working Group reflect the discussions on how to simultaneously promote competition, sustainability and resilience. To achieve the twin goals of the green and digital transitions, the effective enforcement of competition rules and a proper regulatory environment are necessary. The EU should strive to create a regulatory environment that can provide legal certainty at home and set an example for the rest of the world.
The report targets four areas of EU competition law: state aid postCOVID-19, mergers and acquisitions, horizontal cooperation agreements, and the proposed Digital Markets Act. In addition, the working group formulated recommendations regarding the overall aim, toolbox and competition standard used in antitrust decisions, and considers how the complementarity of different competition tools can be boosted.