Report on Competition Policy 2022

EESC opinion on the Report from the Commission on competition policy 2022, COM(2023) 184 final 

Key points

The EESC:

• stresses the need for the Commission to extend its competition action to cover realities originating outside the EU, that impact on fair and healthy competition vis-à-vis European businesses and on compliance with the rules to which they are subject. The Commission's action on foreign subsidies constitutes a first step and is welcomed by the EESC, but this needs to be extended to other areas;
• recommends that the Commission assess the distortions of competition that have arisen through the implementation of the COVID-19 State Aid Temporary Framework, together with other European funds. The Commission should urge the Member States to correct the mistakes, precipitous measures and unequal treatment that have occurred and that, while understandable in an unprecedented state of emergency, can and should now be corrected in order to restore the level playing-field – and thereby competition – for businesses operating in the same market that were treated unequally during that period;
• calls for constant support and monitoring of different markets as part of antitrust policy. All markets should be open and competitive, in the interests of all, economic operators and consumers, which, in an inflationary period like the one we are currently witnessing, is all the more important in order to allow supply chains to function properly;
• calls on the Commission to use State aid rules to support the green and digital transition. While State aid can play an important role in this transition, when temporarily relaxing EU State aid rules, the EU must find the right balance to avoid a subsidy race and preserve a level playing field within the Single Market The granting of State aid should have at its origin the contractualisation of strict targets which, if not achieved, mean that, based on clear rules, any benefit received could be returned.

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