Ribera will be in charge of resolving a probe into Microsoft, which the Commission charged in June for linking its Teams service with its must-have office software.
4. Catching killer acquisitions
Merger officials are worried about Big Tech or Big Pharma firms that scoop up small innovative rivals in deals that don’t get reviewed by regulators because the smaller firm’s revenue is too low. The Commission thought it had found a solution only for the EU’s top court to tell it to think again earlier this month.
Von der Leyen has now told Ribera to “address risks of killer acquisitions from foreign companies seeking to eliminate them as a possible source of future competition.”
How to do that is the tough part. Lowering the existing thresholds for a review via a legal change risks catching too many deals and exposing merger law to potential amendments from EU governments and the European Parliament.
5. Understanding artificial intelligence
Competition enforcers around the world have been sniffing around Big Tech partnerships with AI startups to make sure the old guard isn’t using its power to keep smaller players from becoming fierce rivals.
The Commission is looking at Microsoft’s exclusivity deals with ChatGPT developer OpenAI and is warning that it is watching the rest of the industry. It’s also looking at Nvidia, the main supplier of chips used to power AI.
6. Fighting foreign subsidies
The Commission has a new law to clamp down on help that non-EU governments give their favorite companies that has largely been aimed at Chinese business. So far it’s been used to probe aid for wind turbines and security scanners.
Von der Leyen seems keen for Ribera to “vigorously enforce” these rules, telling her to proactively map “the most problematic practices.” What’s less clear is if she’ll give Ribera the staff she needs to do so.
