Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Report on competition policy 2015

Strong and effective EU competition policy has always been a cornerstone of the European project. Now that sustaining the recovery and boosting economic growth are at the top of EU agenda, competition policy is more important than ever.

Competition policy keeps markets efficient and open. For European consumers, this translates into better market outcomes such as lower prices, better quality products and services, and greater choice. In addition, healthy competition gives companies fair chances to do business and to achieve their commercial goals, which in turn encourages growth, job creation and prosperity. When companies are able to compete on their own merits, businesses and households benefit from a wide range of good quality, innovative products and services at competitive prices. Increased competition also drives companies to invest and to become more efficient. These efficiency gains are then passed on to the wider economy. The ultimate aim of competition policy is to make markets work better – to the advantage of households and businesses.

At the beginning of his mandate, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said that his Commission will focus on the key challenges facing European society and the economy. Competition policy has an important role to play in tackling those challenges. The work carried out in the field of competition in 2015 made a significant contribution to a number of Commission’s key political priorities, namely boosting jobs, growth and investment, and creating a connected Digital Single Market, a resilient Energy Union, and a deeper and fairer single market.

The Commission is also committed to fostering a competition culture – both in the EU and beyond – by promoting closer dialogue with Member States and with the other EU institutions, as well as extensive international cooperation. The guiding principles of competition enforcement are to safeguard impartiality, enforce the rule of law and serve the common European interest. EU competition policy also centres around the values of fairness, political independence, transparency and due process.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2016)198: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2016:198:FIN

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