Competition: EU-US hold third Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue

Yesterday, European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan and the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Jonathan Kanter met in Washington for the third meeting of the EU-US Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue (TCPD). The Dialogue was launched on 7 December 2021 to further consolidate cooperation efforts to ensure and promote fair competition in the digital sector.

Among others, the discussion focused on the reasons why certain mergers between digital players may lead to competition concerns. The three authorities also shared policy reflections in the area of abuse of dominance in the digital sector and presented recent policy initiatives in this field. The three authorities have also agreed on the importance of continuing to closely collaborate in the framework of the TCPD, as well-functioning and competitive markets benefit consumers, businesses, and workers on both sides of the Atlantic. In this context, the FTC and the DOJ will each send an expert official to Brussels to assist with implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “Today’s meeting has proven once again how fruitful it is to keep engaging in a close cooperation between the European Commission and the US competition authorities. Exchanging our experiences and ideas on how best to anticipate and address the fast-moving trends in tech markets is vital for achieving the shared goal of a fair, inclusive and pro-competitive digital transformation, to the benefit of consumers and businesses in both the EU and US.”

A press release is available online.