Competition: Brussels weighs making antitrust rules more EU‑level and less national

Brussels – With competition and supervision rules becoming more European and less national, the EU Commission is working on reorganising the single market, raising doubts and concerns among the benches of the European Parliament. Poland’s Piotr Müller (Law and Justice/ECR) denounces how the EU executive is “considering limiting the role national antitrust bodies play in enforcing competition rules by centralising decisions in Brussels.” He criticises this decision as “a step in the wrong direction” and therefore asks for explanations in a question, which sees confirmation from Brussels. 

“EU competition law plays a key role in promoting competitive markets, and the Commission does not envisage eliminating national competences relating to its enforcement,” Executive Vice-President for a Fair, Clean and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, head of competition at the twelve-star, said. Member States will continue to play a role, but a different one, and probably more limited than at present. “The Commission is considering how to address the risk of fragmented competition law enforcement that has been associated with the (increased) use of stricter national laws on unilateral conduct,” she added. 

Whatever happens, a European control room will be needed, which should not necessarily be interpreted as centralisation. In other words, Ribera continues, the EU executive “is assessing whether it would be appropriate to further harmonise unilateral conduct rules at the EU level, or instead to expand the existing coordination and information exchange mechanisms within the European Competition Network, to ensure coherence, complementarity, and effectiveness of EU and national laws.“ 

European competition needs to be reviewed; this is the only thing Ribera is clear about. Much will depend on the ongoing assessments. The Commission is currently carrying out “an impact assessment of the available options, which is expected to be concluded in the third quarter of 2026.” At the beginning of October, therefore, we will know what will happen to competition policy. However, the Member States will have different levels of influence.