European Commission publishes 2022 Report on Competition Policy

The European Commission has published today a Report on Competition Policy for 2022, presenting the key policy developments and legislative initiatives undertaken last year, as well as a selection of important enforcement actions.

In 2022, thanks to the competition policy instruments at its disposal, the Commission created and implemented a policy mix designed to mitigate the negative effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine on the EU economy, its businesses and citizens. In particular, EU State aid policy, including the precursors to the recently adopted Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, played an important role in the EU’s multifaceted response to these events. At the same time, the Commission phased out emergency measures implemented to address the COVID-19 pandemic. While addressing these challenges, the duty to deliver on the green and digital transitions remained.

The Commission continued its extensive review of competition regulations, guidelines and notices, to ensure that all enforcement instruments are fit for current and future challenges. It also continued making progress on recently adopted legislation that complements the existing competition policy tools. The Digital Markets Act entered into force in November 2022 and will apply as of May 2023. Moreover, the Foreign Subsidies Regulation was adopted in November 2022 and entered into force in January 2023.

In 2022, the Commission continued to enforce the EU competition rules in the areas of antitrust, merger control and State aid control to the benefit of citizens and businesses of all sizes.

The full text of the Report and the accompanying Staff Working Document will be available here. An infographic, providing an overview of key milestones reached in 2022, is also available online.

(For more information: Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: +32 2 298 65 00; Nina Ferreira – Tel.: +32 229 9 81 63; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 2 299 05 26)