Criticism of the EU’s Digital Markets Act by the chair of the Federal Trade Commission has not complicated transatlantic cooperation on digital markets, the director general of the European Commission’s competition arm has said.
Olivier Guersent told GCR yesterday that the agency held a “good discussion” with FTC chair Andrew Ferguson about enforcement in digital markets shortly after the latter accused the EU of levying tariffs on US tech companies and penalising conduct that did not occur in the region through the DMA.
“If we think that Americans are suffering from anticompetitive conduct at home, we should address it here at home,” Ferguson said. “We don’t want Europeans doing it for us.”
But Guersent said during a panel at the ABA’s antitrust spring meeting that the commission is on “the same page” as the FTC and Department of Justice when it comes to tech enforcement and other issues.
He said DOJ antitrust division chief Gail Slater and Ferguson have confirmed to EU competition commissioner Teresa Ribera that they want to continue cooperating with the bloc on antitrust matters, and enhance that cooperation where possible.
Guersent noted that the ties between the competition authorities deepened during the first Trump Administration, particularly on tech issues, and there is no signal that this will change.
He urged the agencies to isolate any outside “noise and disturbances”.
Guersent also stressed that cooperation between the two agencies is “instrumental” in global enforcement, especially when tackling international cartels.
It is of “paramount importance” that the two regions continue working together on collusion cases, he added. “I think both sides have a clear understanding of that.”
The ABA’s antitrust spring meeting concluded today.
