European Commission fills top antitrust positions with appointment of new Commissioner and Chief Economist

New Competition Commissioner, new era?

Spanish socialist Teresa Ribera has been nominated by EC President Ursula von der Leyen to fill the EC’s top competition post. She will take over from Margrethe Vestager, who has held office for ten years.

In addition to competition policy, Ribera is also nominated as “Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Competitive and Just Transition”, meaning she will be responsible for leading the further implementation of the EU Green Deal and coordinating the EC’s initiatives towards decarbonization.

Ribera’s background is in environmental matters, not competition. From 2008-2011, she was the Spanish State Secretary for climate change and biodiversity. She was the Minister for Ecological Transition from 2018-2020, before becoming Vice-President for the same portfolio. As was the case for Vestager’s joint responsibility for both the “digital agenda” and competition policy, the different elements of a commissioner’s policy portfolio matter, and influence each other.

New Chief Economist found at last

Emanuele Tarantino will serve as the new head of the economic department in the Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) for a term of three years. He will replace Lluís Saurí, who has been filling the role on a temporary basis since August 2023.

The Chief Economist provides independent guidance on economic matters to the EC in its application of EU competition rules and answers to the Commissioner for Competition.

In announcing the appointment, the EC highlights Professor Tarantino’s experience in competition policy and his distinguished academic career of more than 15 years. Prior to joining the EC, Tarantino was a professor of economics and finance at Rome’s Luiss Guido Carli University. He served as an advisor to the Banco de España, and as a researcher at other academic institutions.

Professor Tarantino’s appointment marks the end of a protracted process of political discussion that started in the spring of 2023. The role of Chief Economist might seem rather technical at first glance, but the appointment of the new Chief sparked controversy after French officials criticized the appointment of the U.S. economist Fiona Scott Morton, causing her to withdraw. France’s resistance stemmed in part from Scott Morton’s former ties to U.S.-based technology firms, against which the EC had several ongoing cases. Current Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who expressed her belief in Scott Morton’s integrity and impartiality, was unimpressed at the turn of events.

Outlook for EU competition policy

Ribera and Tarantino will inherit Vestager’s enforcement priorities.

However, they can be expected to put their own stamp on the direction of EU competition policy:

• The controversy that surrounded the appointment of a new chief economist underlines the political sensitivity and influence of the role. It remains to be seen what Professor Tarantino’s impact will be on the EC’s future priorities and approach.
• Vestager’s term was marked by a clear agenda that stood for ‘big on big’ and was largely directed against undertakings operating in digital markets. Ribera has yet to disclose her stance on these issues.
• Ribera’s background and assigned competences can be expected to lead to the Green Deal and sustainability in competition featuring prominently in the EC’s policy and enforcement during her mandate. Such a focus would also be in line with President von der Leyen’s mission letter, which emphasizes the net zero transition as an EU priority (for more commentary on what Ribera has been tasked with, see our recent Antitrust in focus newsletter).

Next steps

Professor Tarantino is expected to start in his new role very soon.

For Ribera, there are hurdles still to clear. Each Commissioner-designate must appear before the parliamentary committee responsible for their portfolio, to be evaluated on their suitability for the position. It is likely that Ribera’s hearing will be before the Economic Affairs Committee. The European Parliament, acting through the competent parliamentary committee, will need to approve each nomination by a two-thirds majority, after which all Commissioners-designate will be subject to a final single vote of consent by the European Parliament in a plenary session. The European Council formally appoints all the Commissioners to their respective positions, acting by a qualified majority. This final step is currently expected in late November and, in the absence of any bumps in the road, we are likely to see Ribera take office in December.