EU: Competition reform a “top priority” says Vestager

Europe’s competition head, Margrethe Vestager has said reforming EU competition law is a major priority for Brussels and could help accelerate the bloc’s ambitious Green Deal.

“I have learned never to give a date because otherwise everyone focuses on respecting the timetable and not on the quality of the work,” Vestager told AFP in an interview.

“We are reviewing our state aid rules to see if they are compatible with the Green pact,” the Danish Commissioner said.

The EU has embarked on a raft of new laws and spending plans to fight climate change, and Brussels has likened its ambition to the 1960s US mission to the Moon.

On Tuesday, January 14, it formally launched €1 trillion euro (US$1.1 trillion) plan to finance its goal. But the plan — which commits member States to build a carbon-neutral economy by 2050 — risks colliding with the EU’s strict rules on State aid.

Vestager’s teams have the task of checking whether aid granted by an EU government to a company is compatible with competition law.

Full Content: RFI

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.