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The European Parliament recently outlined a new vision for competition policy, proposing an update of EU rules to adapt them to the transformations of the digital economy and intensifying global competition. Through a resolution that is not legally binding but provides significant policy direction, the Strasbourg Assembly calls on the European Commission to reconsider the current regulatory framework, with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of European industry, reducing strategic dependencies on non-European operators, and creating favorable conditions for the development of large continental companies. According to the resolution, competition policy should no longer be limited to combating abuses of dominant positions or preventing mergers that are harmful to consumers, but should become a tool capable of supporting the economic resilience, security, sustainability, strategic autonomy, and competitiveness of the Union. From this perspective, Parliament suggests that the recommendations contained in the reports prepared by Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta serve as a point of reference for the future development of European competition law.
STRENGTHENING DIGITAL MARKETS
A significant part of the resolution concerns strengthening the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act, introduced to limit the power of large digital platforms identified as “gatekeepers”—those capable of controlling access to digital markets. These include Google, Amazon, Apple, Booking.com, TikTok, Meta, and Microsoft. Parliament calls on the Commission to make more frequent use of the instruments provided for by the regulation, including market investigations, interim measures, infringement proceedings, and sanctions, to prevent these operators from evading their obligations under the regulation. To ensure effective enforcement of the Digital Markets Act, the introduction of a specific financial contribution, called a “DMA fee,” is also proposed. This fee is intended to guarantee stable financial resources for supervisory and control activities.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES, CLOUD COMPUTING, AND MONOPOLY PREVENTION
Parliament suggests that, in the upcoming review of the regulation, the scope of the new rules be expanded to include emerging technologies that are playing a central role in the digital economy. These include artificial intelligence models, chatbots, virtual assistants, cloud computing services, and connected television operating systems. The aim is to prevent the formation of new monopolistic positions before these markets reach full maturity. MEPs call on the Commission to use the investigation already underway to update the requirements of the regulation and remove barriers that hinder customer switching from one supplier to another, which they consider to be capable of significantly limiting competition.
MERGERS, EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS, AND COUNTERING PREDATORY TAKEOVERS
The revision of the merger rules is another central element of the Parliamentary proposal. According to MEPs, the current system should be updated to encourage the emergence of large pan-European industrial groups capable of competing with major global operators, without compromising competition and consumer welfare. The Commission is therefore called on to adopt more dynamic evaluation criteria, considering not only the immediate effects of transactions on prices and market shares, but also their contribution to innovation capacity, investment, production resilience, and long-term economic growth. Similarly, the Commission calls for a revision of the European merger guidelines to better take into account the need to create true “European champions” in strategic sectors such as telecommunications, energy, payment systems, and defense.
STRATEGIC AUTONOMY AND NEW INTERVENTION TOOLS
The proposals put forward by the European Parliament closely link competition policy to the objective of the Union’s strategic autonomy. From this perspective, strong support is called for the development of essential European infrastructure, including cloud services, artificial intelligence infrastructure, financial networks, and interoperable payment systems, thus reducing dependence on third-country infrastructure and operators. In the same context, the European Parliament calls for strengthening the enforcement of the Regulation on Foreign Subsidies against online platforms and marketplaces based outside the European Union, while avoiding imposing excessive administrative burdens on European small and medium-sized enterprises. Regarding electronic payments, Parliament also calls on the Commission to swiftly conclude its investigations into the fees charged by Visa and Mastercard, identifying the digital euro as a significant opportunity to strengthen competition and reduce dependence on non-European payment circuits. Finally, the resolution proposes the introduction of a new European market investigation tool, designed to enable the Commission to address situations of compromised competition even in the absence of specific antitrust violations. Unlike traditional procedures, this mechanism would address structural market problems, following models already adopted in some Member States. Parliament therefore calls on the European Commission to present a legislative proposal that complements the current regulatory framework, strengthening the Union’s ability to respond to the new challenges posed by digital transformation and international economic competition. This is the challenge of the coming months.