Possible reform of competition law: Food for thought to improve the interplay between merger control and other EU policies
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Concurrences REVUE DES DROITS DE LA CONCURRENCE | COMPETITION LAW REVIEW “ Possible reform of competition law: Food for thought to improve the interplay between merger control and other EU policies” Editorial l Concurrences N° 3-2019 www.concurrences.com Pascal Belmin pascal.belmin@airbus.com Vice-President Head of EU Regulatory Affairs, Airbus Group, Brussels
Foreword
“Possible reform
constitutes a violation of the publisher's rights and may be punished by up to 3 years imprisonment and up to a € 300 000 fine (Art. L. 335-2 Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle). Personal use of this document is authorised within the limits of Art. L 122-5 Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle and DRM protection.
Ce document est protégé au titre du droit d'auteur par les conventions internationales en vigueur et le Code de la propriété intellectuelle du 1er juillet 1992. Toute utilisation non autorisée constitue une contrefaçon, délit pénalement sanctionné jusqu'à 3 ans d'emprisonnement et 300 000 € d'amende (art.
L. 335-2 CPI). L’utilisation personnelle est strictement autorisée dans les limites de l’article L. 122 5 CPI et des mesures techniques de protection pouvant accompagner ce document. This document is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties. Non-authorised use of this document
of competition law:
Food for thought to
improve the interplay
between merger control
and other EU policies”
Pascal Belmin*
pascal.belmin@airbus.com
Vice-President
Head of EU Regulatory Affairs, Airbus Group, Brussels
T
he debate over the need to reform European global competition on equal terms while protecting
competition law rules has been developing and European consumers. While the major powers do not
intensifying over the last months. It has notably hesitate to defend their national champions, Europe must
been fuelled by a clear evolution in the EU institutions’ take account, in its competition policy, the evolution of
perception of the challenges facing the Union and of the the global competitive environment in terms of investment,
appropriate answers. trade and industry.”
The official declaration adopted in December 2018 by The declaration further stressed the need for the EU
no less than 18 EU Member States at ministerial level to “carry out by the first half of 2020 a comparative
(the Friends of Industry, among which France, Germany, assessment of competition policies and State aid control
Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy) provides mechanisms of third countries with a view to (…) [e]xplore
some particularly clear and relevant statements, which the adaptations to be made to European competition policy
also show that this thinking line is by no means limited to so that it allows European players of international scale
France or Germany. to emerge [and] [s]trengthen rules in free trade agreements
with the aim to limit subsidies and anticompetitive practices
The declaration made it clear that the “European Union by third countries, which can be harmful to European
must build a European industrial policy that encourages companies.”
the creation of major economic players capable of facing
*This contribution is personal. Views and opinions expressed belong solely
to the author.
Concurrences N° 3-2019 I Foreword I Pascal Belmin I Possible reform of competition law: Food for thought to improve the interplay between merger control and other EU policies 1The European Council (heads of state or A revitalised EU political agenda
constitutes a violation of the publisher's rights and may be punished by up to 3 years imprisonment and up to a € 300 000 fine (Art. L. 335-2 Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle). Personal use of this document is authorised within the limits of Art. L 122-5 Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle and DRM protection.
on strategic issues
government level) was also very clear in the
Ce document est protégé au titre du droit d'auteur par les conventions internationales en vigueur et le Code de la propriété intellectuelle du 1er juillet 1992. Toute utilisation non autorisée constitue une contrefaçon, délit pénalement sanctionné jusqu'à 3 ans d'emprisonnement et 300 000 € d'amende (art.
L. 335-2 CPI). L’utilisation personnelle est strictement autorisée dans les limites de l’article L. 122 5 CPI et des mesures techniques de protection pouvant accompagner ce document. This document is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties. Non-authorised use of this document
conclusions reached further to its March 22,
2019, summit: “in view of the importance of a
These are not just words. These statements
globally integrated, sustainable and competitive
concur with the acceleration and intensification
industrial base, the Commission is invited to
of the political and regulatory EU production,
present, by the end of 2019, a long-term vision for
particularly on European strategic issues and
the EU’s industrial future, with concrete measures
industrial policy. Among other initiatives, the
to implement it. It should address the challenges
following very recent examples can be underlined:
European industry faces, touching upon all relevant
policy areas.” “[F]air competition should be
– the
emergence of a European Defence Fund,
ensured within the Single Market and globally, both
built around the core concept of EU strategic
to protect consumers and to foster economic growth
autonomy;
and competitiveness, in line with the long-term
strategic interests of the Union. We will continue – the
wide EU Strategic Value Chain initiative, a
to update our European competition framework to starting point to be further deepened and enlarged;
new technological and global market developments. – the launch of wide European projects in the
The Commission intends to identify before the end field of electrical batteries and microelectronics;
of the year how to fill gaps in EU law in order to –
important achievements and political
address fully the distortive effects of foreign state statements regarding the space sector industrial
ownership and state-aid financing in the Single policy, such as the partial adoption of the EU
Market.” Space Programme Regulation and the May
2019 Council conclusions on “Space as an
EU Member States expressed in the above- enabler”;
mentioned Friends of Industry declaration
– the adoption of the EU regulation on screening
the need to “mobilise all European policies
of foreign direct investments;
contributing to industrial competitiveness,”
which “should incorporate: policies in the areas – the
adoption of an updated EU Blocking
of competition, research and innovation, digital, Statute Regulation in August 2019, in response
defence, the Single Market, the elaboration as well to the US withdrawal from the Iran-related
as the promotion of European norms and standards, JCPOA agreement;
regional development, international trade, energy – the
adoption of numerous policies and
and sustainable development, taxation and skills.” regulations relating to the Digital Single Market;
– the development of a proposal of International
This is fully echoed by the Council of European Procurement Instrument, in relation to public
Council 27 May 2019 conclusions on an procurement (not adopted yet).
“EU Industrial Policy Strategy: a Vision for
2030”, reiterate “the call by the European Council EU institutions have therefore evolved over the
for a strong economic base that is of key impor- last months, both in their perception of and
tance for Europe’s prosperity and competitiveness, attitude towards external challenges and in their
and for its role on the global stage, which should commitment to adopt EU policies and regulations
be achieved through an integrated approach addres- on particularly strategic issues—including but
sing the current and emerging global, technological, not limited to industrial policy.
security and sustainability challenges and connec-
ting all relevant policies and dimensions”. In this Against this background, any reform of
perspective, the Council “stresses the importance competition policy should be aimed at improving
of mobilising all relevant EU and Member State and deepening the alignment and consistency
policies and instruments, applying the better regu- between competition policy and other EU
lation principles and continue the work on fostering policies.
an innovation and growth-friendly regulatory envi-
ronment and ensuring fair competition within the As further explained below, one tool already
Single Market and globally, both to protect consu- exists, which would constitute a very relevant
mers and to foster economic growth and competi- source of inspiration for the field of merger
tiveness, and continuing to update our European control: the State aid concept of Important
competition framework to new technological and Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI).
global market developments”.
The proposal set out below would by no means
exclude other consistent ideas, for instance seeking
to better factor in longer-term perspectives,
subsidies received by non-EU competitors, or
to bring simplification or flexibility (for instance
regarding remedies) to existing processes.
2 Concurrences N° 3-2019 I Foreword I Pascal Belmin I Possible reform of competition law: Food for thought to improve the interplay between merger control and other EU policiesDrawing inspiration from IPCEIs approach within the Commission. Appropriate
constitutes a violation of the publisher's rights and may be punished by up to 3 years imprisonment and up to a € 300 000 fine (Art. L. 335-2 Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle). Personal use of this document is authorised within the limits of Art. L 122-5 Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle and DRM protection.
would improve the interplay
confidentiality obligations or reassurances could
Ce document est protégé au titre du droit d'auteur par les conventions internationales en vigueur et le Code de la propriété intellectuelle du 1er juillet 1992. Toute utilisation non autorisée constitue une contrefaçon, délit pénalement sanctionné jusqu'à 3 ans d'emprisonnement et 300 000 € d'amende (art.
L. 335-2 CPI). L’utilisation personnelle est strictement autorisée dans les limites de l’article L. 122 5 CPI et des mesures techniques de protection pouvant accompagner ce document. This document is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties. Non-authorised use of this document
be put in place.
between merger control and other – Although
it may be true that the existing
EU policies and would stimulate merger control framework can sometimes
collegiality within the Commission prove flexible enough to reach case-by-case
solutions which also take into account other
In essence, the IPCEI regime explicitly allows EU policies, the existing legal test does not
the Commission to factor in its competition incorporate contributions to the latter. And,
analysis positive contributions that a given ultimately, this test is the only one that EU
project brings “in a concrete, clear and identifiable courts are authorised to rely upon in order to
manner to one or more Union objectives [with] a assess the legality of a Commission decision.
significant impact on competitiveness of the Union, – Arguing
that a wider welfare concept could
sustainable growth, addressing societal challenges already be relied upon in practice to reach
or value creation across the Union. The project a de facto similar result would in our view
must represent an important contribution to the not be sufficient. Allowing to demonstrate
Union’s objectives, for instance by being of major contributions to precisely defined and drafted
importance for the Europe 2020 strategy, the policies would be much more specific, relevant
European Research Area, the European strategy and respectful of the democratic process
for KETs, the Energy Strategy for Europe, the having led to the adoption of these policies and
2030 framework for climate and energy policies, regulations.
the European Energy Security Strategy, the – Last
but not least, this would contribute more
Electronics Strategy for Europe, the Trans- generally to placing a stronger emphasis on the
European Transport and Energy networks, the analysis of efficiencies, an area which is often
Union’s flagship initiatives such as the Innovation regarded as being insufficiently taken into
Union, Digital Agenda for Europe, the Resource account in the assessment.
Efficient Europe, or the Integrated Industrial
Policy for the Globalisation Era” (Commission’s Of course, the modification of the European
2014 IPCEI Communication). Merger Control Regulation could be accompanied
by other amendments to lower level texts, for
Drawing inspiration from this precedent, the EU instance to improve the appraisal of longer-term
Merger Control Regulation could be amended effects or simplify processes.
to explicitly allow the Commission to take into
Some useful adaptations
account, as efficiencies, positive contributions
that a merger transaction could bring to such EU
objectives and policies. to State aid rules
Such modification would lead to significant benefits: Looking beyond merger control, a final element
could be added with respect to State aid rules.
– The scope would be clear and defined, since
only elements relating to adopted EU rules and Although the State aid modernisation initiative
policies could be invoked. has already significantly improved the situation,
it would appear important to make a specific
– Focusing
on EU policies and regulations would
effort to further facilitate research, development
guarantee a strong democratic legitimacy and
and innovation activities, notably when it comes
ensure that EU long-term interests remain
to close-to-market stages.
center stage.
– This
would already contribute to better factor Similarly, the regime applicable to IPCEIs
in the external competitive landscape and the could be pushed one step further. This could be
predicted evolution of industries or sectors, done by simplifying the process and alleviating
since these elements would normally be well requirements, for instance on spillovers and in
reflected in the EU policies concerned. relation to the counterfactual scenario condition,
– This
would avoid process disruptions and notably with a view to allow downstream research
loss of expertise: DG COMP would remain industrial projects to also be labelled as IPCEIs.
in charge of the assessment of the merger
case, while the parties and other Commission This would significantly increase the incentive
directorates would become explicitly entitled to for Member States to invest jointly rather
put forward positive contributions to other EU than separately and to channel their support
policies. This would trigger intra-Commission towards high TRL R&D projects, which would
discussions very early on and contribute to bring strong and concrete contributions to EU
forging an iterated and substantiated collegial objectives and policies. n
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