Series
Blogs
Series
Blogs
Authors: Lodewick Pompers, Elisha Kemp
In a report published in September last year, Mario Draghi argued for a “new approach to competition policy supporting a new Industrial Deal”, noting that “competition policy should continue to adapt to changes in the economy so that it does not become a barrier to Europe’s goals.” This call for action echoed the Political Guidelines for the current Commission of President von der Leyen (published in July last year), which emphasised the need for a competition policy that is “better geared to our common goals and more supportive of companies scaling up in global markets”.
In his report, Draghi put forward a number of proposals to “revamp” EU competition policy. However, as any business executive will know, plans are one thing, execution is another. The challenging task of figuring out how to implement the high-level political strategy takes time and rests on the shoulders of DG COMP.
A year on, where do we stand? The table below gives an overview of where we are at with some of Draghi’s key proposals, and whether or not they were addressed in President von der Leyen's mission Letter to Commissioner Teresa Ribera.
| Proposal in Draghi Report | Mission Letter | Status | |
| 1 | Allow the creation of EU champions in strategic sectors. Emphasise the weight of innovation and future competition in decisions, enhancing progress in areas where the development of new technologies would make a difference for consumers. | ✓ | In progress, but changes are not expected soon. Updated merger guidelines expected in 2027 but may come sooner, after a call for acceleration on timing. In any event, the EC is already ‘testing’ a possible new approach. |
| 2 | Include security and resilience considerations in merger reviews. | ✓ | In progress, but the outcome is uncertain. |
| 3 | Introduce post-merger monitoring and use more behavioural remedies. | No current proposals, but EC may come under pressure to follow the CMA’s example and consider behavioural remedies as a means to underpin efficiency claims. | |
| 4 | Accelerate the decision-making processes and increase the predictability of merger review. | ✓ | In progress, but limited changes expected. |
| 5 | Accelerate the decision-making processes and increase the predictability of antitrust enforcement. | ✓ | In progress, but the outcome is uncertain. Updated Antitrust Procedural Framework coming Q4 2026. |
| 6 | Create more room for collaboration on R&D. Provide clear guidance and templates on novel agreements, coordination and co-deployment between competitors. | Some progress for targeted areas (like technology transfers), but not more broadly. Updated Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation (TTBER) expected soon. | |
| 7 | Vigorously and effectively enforce the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). | ✓ | In progress for the FSR, but the EC is treading carefully when it comes to the DMA, as its enforcement has become politicised. |
| 8 | Reform the State aid framework to support EU-wide strategic projects. Reform and expand the IPCEIs – Important Projects of Common European Interest (with State aid control as a competition tool for efficiency enhancing industrial policies). | ✓ | Early indications of change with the adoption of the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), but sweeping reforms remain some way off. A ‘Competitiveness Coordination Tool’ may be used in the future, but there is no certainty yet. |
| 9 | Introduce a new competition tool. Introduce a ‘New Competition Tool’ (NCT) in four areas. | No current proposals. | |
| 10 | Closing the skills gap with labour mobility | Enforcement of no-poach agreements ramping up, but no proposed reforms. | |
We discuss the status of each of the concrete proposals in depth, below:
24 September 2025