Recently, the European Union’s industrial policy has undergone a renaissance. Faced with mounting geopolitical uncertainties, increased global competition, and the urgency of “twin transitions” (digital and green), the EU has identified a pressing need to bolster strategic sectors, accelerate innovation, and ensure resilience within the internal market. The Letta and Draghi Reports can vouch for…
Is competition law fit for purpose? Do we need better tools to make markets fair? How far should government go to ‘fix’ market structures? It’s impossible to attend an antitrust conference these days without discussing these questions under the umbrella of competition & industrial policy. From decades of broad consensus championing competitive neutrality and ‘letting…
Introduction State aid rules have existed since the Rome Treaty and have a negative integration logic: Member States should refrain from distorting competition by helping their own undertakings (an in-depth analysis on state aid, in Hancher, Ottervanger and Slot, see here). These rules naturally trigger tension between what Member States can do with their money…
