European Commission Daily News 12th July
Competition: Commission publishes findings of evaluation of Market Definition Notice
The European Commission has published today a Staff Working Document that summarises the findings of the evaluation of the Market Definition Notice used in EU competition law. The aim of the evaluation, launched in March 2020, was to contribute to the Commission’s assessment of the functioning of the Market Definition Notice, in order to decide whether to repeal the Notice, leave it unchanged or revise it. The evaluation has shown that the Market Definition Notice remains highly relevant as it provides clarity and transparency to companies and other stakeholders on the Commission’s approach to market definition – an important first step of the Commission’s assessment in many antitrust and merger cases. At the same time, the evaluation also suggests that the Notice does not fully reflect developments in best practices in market definition that have taken place since 1997, including latest developments in EU case law. The Commission will reflect on the need and on how to address the issues that were identified in the context of the evaluation. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “We need to analyse the market and the boundaries of the market where companies compete. The Market Definition Notice is very useful in that context. The evaluation has confirmed that it provides clarity and transparency to stakeholders on how we approach market definition. The basic principles of the Market Definition Notice, based on the case law of the EU courts, remain sound today. At the same time the evaluation indicates that the Notice does not fully cover recent evolutions in market definition practice, including those related to the digitalisation of the economy. We will now analyse if and how the Notice should be revised to address the issues we have identified.” A full press release is available online.
Commissioner Wojciechowski participates in the Agri-food promotion policy review conference
Today, Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski will deliver the opening speech of the Agri-food promotion policy review conference taking place online from 14:00. It will be followed by a speech by Jože Podgoršek, Slovenian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. The two-day conference is part of a comprehensive consultation process on the review of the EU agri-food promotion policy, which comprises a public consultation launched on 31 March 2021. The conference will include a presentation of the preliminary results of the public consultation. In the context of the policy review, participants will discuss the role of the promotion policy in the transition to sustainable food systems as well as its role in supporting more plant-based and healthy diets. Furthermore, on the second day, discussions will focus on how the promotion policy can enhance the EU agri-food sector’s competitiveness and reputation at home and abroad. The policy review will take on board the EU policy priorities, notably the Farm to Fork Strategy as well and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. The detailed sessions and speakers can be found in the programme. Livestreaming of the conference will be available online.
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