Member States’ interference as limit to the free-market economy or more EU integrated actions?
The GCLC’s Annual Conference for 2025 explores the legal and economic aspects of the European Union’s (“EU”) response to the current political landscape from a global competition policy perspective, with the aim of revealing synergies and tensions between the various tools and potential areas of innovation to help shape the competition policy of the future. The focus will be on Member States’ interference (in a negative manner) and intervention (in a positive manner) for a more efficient, adjusted competition policy and, ultimately, a stronger EU internal market.
In a context of increasing global political uncertainty, with China seeking productive self-sufficiency and the US restructuring production systems to stay competitive - the concept of “open strategic autonomy” in the EU has become more and more significant in the political discourse and reflects the EU’s ambition to promote its own model and show resilience in a rapidly evolving and challenging geopolitical landscape.
Against this background, the impact of Member States’ interference or intervention should be carefully examined to understand how competition policy can continue to evolve as a crucial instrument to shape State intervention in compliance with EU law and the EU common interest. Though competition policy has traditionally focused on limiting restrictions to market dynamics and ensuring a level playing field, it has increasingly addressed broader objectives such as the green transition, sustainability, social fairness, and other policy objectives. This is not in itself objectionable, but it should prompt a comprehensive rethinking of the various tools available, with the aim of reconciling all the objectives entrusted to competition policy as efficiently as possible.
In particular, EU State aid control is once more considered a fundamental component of the EU’s response and, more precisely, of the Commission’s extensive toolbox to support the EU’s policy goals. State aid policy is thus likely to require some reshaping and better coordination with trade and industrial policies; additionally, it must be given a solid theoretical basis to ensure it is applied in a consistent and non-discriminatory manner. In reshaping State aid policy, the EU should prioritise competitiveness, as highlighted in the Draghi report, which underscores the importance of State aid control for the EU to compete globally.
As last year, a student or an assistant from the College of Europe will take part in the preparatory work of each panel as the “voice of the College” and will express the younger generation views on each topic at the outset of the panel discussions and presentation.
DAY 1 – 29 April 2025
09:00-09:10 Welcome Address
09:10-09:20 Presentation of the Conference
- Massimo Merola (GCLC)
09:20-09:30 GCLC Best Thesis Award
- Awarded by the Rector and the GCLC President
09:30-11:00 First Panel – Foundations of the Open Strategic Autonomy
Moderator Massimo Merola (GCLC)
- The shift from the social market economy model to the current open strategic autonomy model: a geoeconomic perspective
Defining the EU open strategic autonomy model
The economic significance of the open strategic autonomy model: insights and prospects
The potential contradictions of the open strategic autonomy model
11:00-11:15 Coffee Break
11:15-12:15 Keynote speech
12:15-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:00 Second Panel – Legal frameworks supporting open strategic autonomy
Moderator: Jacques Derenne (GCLC)
The control and the shaping of State aid granted by Member States (Article 107 to 109 TFEU)
The control of State legislation distorting competition and the internal market integration
The role of supply-chain resilience in antitrust law and merger control
The support of national and EU competition rules “applying to undertakings” to promote a clean, just and competitive transition
15:00-15:15 Coffee Break
15:15-16:45 Third Panel – Focus on novel tools: the FSR, the FDI’s reform, the proposal for an outbound investments screening tool, and new instruments for State intervention
Moderator: Bernd Meyring (GCLC)
The interaction between new tools and existing regulatory frameworks
Evaluating the enforcement of the FSR and its alignment with EU strategic goals
Evaluating the screening of inbound and outbound investments based on pending proposals in light of the EU strategic goals
16:45-17:45 Fourth Panel – In the wake of the Draghi and Letta reports: Competitiveness Compass for the EU, Clean Industrial Deal (CID), Clean Industry State Aid Framework (CISAF) and implications for the future of EU competition policy
Moderator: Adina Claici (GCLC)
The role of State aid in the new global landscape and its interplay with new regulatory tools in light of CID and CISAF
Exploring the Commission’s proposals in the wake of the Letta and Draghi reports to reshape current competition tools
The view on Letta and Draghi reports and on Commission’s proposals from CEE
DAY 2 – 30 April 2025
09:00-10:15 Fifth Panel – A forward-looking vision for the future of EU competition tools to achieve a clean, just and competitive transition in view of the EU open strategic autonomy goals
Moderator: José Rivas (GCLC)
Possible future applications of Article 21(4) EUMR to achieve broader policy objectives
Any role for Article 106 TFEU in the new framework
The future of Article 4(3) TEU under the new paradigm?
Anticompetitive public regulations
10:15-10:35 Coffee Break
10:35-12:00 Sixth Panel – The future of the State aid system to address State interference in light of the new global landscape
Moderator: Alfonso Lamadrid (GCLC)
Thoughts on the last 5 years of case law in State aid: where are we heading?
Managing the transition: exit strategies from emergency regulations
Critical remarks on the future of the application of State aid
12:15-13:15 EVP Commissioner’s speech and Q&A
Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera
Introduced by Inge Govaere, College of Europe, director of legal studies and GCLC
13:15-13:30 Acknowledgments and end of the Conference