LCII Policy Briefs

Commissioner Almunia left office on 31 October 2014. He leaves behind a snippet of high profile merger prohibitions, a large reform of State aid law, and a pinch of controversies in relation to ethical issues. But above all, Commissioner Almunia’s fabric brand has been his incommensurate proclivity for « settlements » in antitrust cases. Since the introduction of this procedure in May 2004, the Commission has adopted 31 commitments decisions under Article 9 procedure. This is in contrast with the 11 prohibition decisions adopted under the standard Article 7 procedure. In some sectors like energy, settlements have become the routine procedure. Even in idiosyncratic cases like the ongoing investigation against Google, Commissioner Almunia was reported to push for a settlement.