Press Release: European Commission strengthens the role of the Hearing Officer in competition proceedings

On 23 May 2001 the European Commission decided to enhance the role of the Hearing Officer in its merger reviews and anti-trust proceedings. The Hearing Officer plays an important role in safeguarding the right of defence, a key principle of law to which the Commission is fully committed. From now on, the Hearing Officer will be attached directly to the Competition Commissioner and his/her report will be made available to the parties and will be published in the European Union's Official Journal, greatly contributing to a better transparency in the competition decision-making process.