Europe's Response to a Shifting World Order and the Implications for EU Competition Policy

In an era of tense geostrategic rivalries, Europe finds itself in the midst of a full-blown competitiveness crisis.

Against the backdrop of a much broader industrial policy debate on what is urgently required to improve the EU's flagging productivity to protect its social market model and its economic security, this article weighs up the pending proposals to ensure that the competition rules keep pace and are fit for purpose.

On both fronts, there is no shortage of initiatives under consideration but so far little sign of any real institutional willingness to learn from the past and to do things differently. The EU institutions alone cannot legislate or regulate the continent out of the current situation. A new approach is required.

Key themes include:

• The geopolitical context
• Improving Europe's global competitiveness
• Competition policy implications
  • State aid
  • Merger control
  • Antitrust policy and enforcement
• Is there a need for new competition tools?
• Are we getting the balance right?