The Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Teresa Ribera, has a new right hand in her cabinet. The Irishman Anthony Whelan has been chosen to occupy one of the most relevant technical positions within the community executive. Specifically, he will be at the head of the Directorate-General for Competition.
Whelan is an old acquaintance in the Schuman roundabout. Until now he was the deputy director-general for State Aid in the same team. However, his profile became more widely known in Brussels due to his mission leading negotiations with large digital companies such as Microsoft or Google, as digital advisor to President Ursula von der Leyen. “His professionalism will be essential to defend what matters most in the application of competition: objectivity, independence and equal treatment for all companies operating in Europe,” Ribera stated after his appointment.
Crossfire in Competition
This change comes at a strategic moment in the vice-president's department. In the coming weeks, it will present a review of the current mergers model that governs the European bloc. It is not a minor procedure. Von der Leyen, along with some allies such as the Industry Commissioner, Stéphane Séjourné, is trying to push to relax the controls that the Commission currently exercises in this type of business operation under the premise of "resilience."
According to what Demócrata learned, after an orientation debate among the European commissioners, the battle, days before the first drafts are presented, is currently in the technical departments of the community executive. Ribera wants the revised guidelines to provide “clear and direct guidance, including concrete criteria on when the scale can benefit the Single Market”.
But the tension lies in the fact that some legislators fear that resilience will end up eliminating essential suppliers and forcing customers to opt for riskier alternatives. “Our objective is simple: the guidelines must provide companies with the clarity they need to pursue their industrial ambitions, while preserving the competitive market”, says the commissioner.
Trusted advisor to the president, Whelan has been behind some of the most far-reaching regulations in Brussels, such as the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act. During the European election campaign, he even served as chief of staff to the leader, while Björn Seibert was in charge of the strategy for the elections.
Before, he was Director of Networks and Electronic Communications Services, leading initiatives related to roaming, net neutrality and the deployment of 5G. He holds a degree in Law from Trinity College of Ireland. He also worked as head of cabinet for the commissioner, first for Competition and later for Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes.
"Acting with justice"
For Ribera, this appointment is a message that her main duty “is based on a simple Kantian principle: to act with justice and protect the most vulnerable”. “In these uncertain times, our responsibility is more important than ever: to firmly enforce our rules and to remain free from any distorting pressure”, the vice-president has stated.
The move may have caught some within the Commission off guard. Earlier this year, in an interview with the Financial Times, the Spanish woman showed her willingness for the position to fall to a woman.
The main driver of greater flexibility in new merger models, with which Competition would be meeting at the Schuman roundabout, Séjourné, may have a new partner in Whelan. The vice-president and head of community Internal Market is in favor of Brussels allowing national alliances and ultimately opening the door to national champions that operate as European champions. Supporters of this reform argue that merger control must positively recognize when a merger strengthens resilience.