Aude van den Hove

The EU needs an independent competition authority, says top MEP “Europe cannot grow stronger if it hesitates to enforce its own rulebook in the face of external political pressure,” says Stéphanie Yon-Courtin, author of the European Parliament’s annual competition report.

Competition policy should be enforced at the EU level by an authority that is independent of the bloc’s Brussels-based executive, a top European lawmaker has demanded.

The EU’s industrial policy goes full China Brussels risks scaring off investors with new red tape and Beijing-style requirements for foreign companies.

For decades, European policymakers decried China's use of forced joint ventures as the price foreign companies paid to get access to its market.

Now, the EU wants to copy that strategy. My story w/ @framiche.bsky.social & @audevdh.bsky.social for @politico.eu
www.politico.eu/article/eu-i...

Backlash builds against Commission’s ‘Buy European’ push A rebellion against Ursula von der Leyen’s calls for a European “preference” in public procurement reveals dueling visions of how to compete against the U.S. and China.

The European Commission is pushing EU countries to Buy European, but backlash is brewing even before it has defined what it means. Read more from @pieterhaeck.bsky.social and me:

The Commission wants to loosen state aid rules also for nuclear energy and for support to electricity-intensive industries, according to the latest draft of its new framework.

Read more here (for Pros): pro.politico.eu/news/200626

Commission exempts 38,000 companies from 8 EU laws The EU executive is creating a new category of “small mid-cap” companies as it continues a deregulation push.

The European Commission is creating a new category of “small mid-cap” companies that will be exempted from eight EU laws, it announced today.

Threat of war and disease means Europeans need 3 days’ supplies, Commission to warn “Europe cannot afford to remain reactive,” the European Commission will warn in strategy to be unveiled on Wednesday.

The Commission says Europeans need to have at least 72-hours worth of supplies, as part of its preparedness plan to be presented later today.
www.politico.eu/article/euro...

EU lays out state aid push to stoke green investments State aid rules underpinning the Clean Industrial Deal aim to boost renewable power, decarbonization and clean tech.

EU lays out state aid push to stoke green investments, via @framiche.bsky.social and @audevdh.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/eu-l...

Commission’s competitiveness proposal gets bumped to Jan. 29 The EU’s Competitiveness Compass, aiming to set out the bloc’s economic strategy, has now been delayed by another week, according to a fresh agenda.

Commission's competitiveness compass initiative, originally scheduled for tomorrow, delayed again. Now due Jan 29

w/ @audevdh.bsky.social + Giovanna Faggionato www.politico.eu/article/comm...

It was meant to be the first Commission initiative of the year, but there won't be a ~competitiveness compass~ unveiling next week after all.

Scoop on delay w/ colleagues @audevdh.bsky.social and Giovanna Faggionato pro.politico.eu/news/191881 (€)

France’s man in Brussels touts a strategy to save Europe’s embattled industry The European Commission’s industry chief is lining up help for energy-hungry industries, aiming to stoke demand for them via public procurement.

The EU is working on plans to save its historical industries and help new technologies scale up, industry chief Stéphane Séjourné told me. Read more about it here. #cleantech #industry #steel