SamTo highlight the importance of reconciling the EU's competition rules with its industrial, digital, environmental, climate, social and international trade policies for ensuring a level playing field in all sectors, thus contributing to the development of SMEs.
To draw the attention to the oligopolistic structures that have developed in the area of financial services and that some large technology companies have become important players in the financial services market, which requires control and safeguard arrangements for consumers.
To highlight the importance of equal treatment of EU based enterprises in EU's trading partners in relation to market access, competition and state aid. Demands that any breach of the conditions should entail the suspension of trade on special terms, so that the threat of sanctions has an incentive dimension.
To highlight that European competition law needs to be more flexible, particularly with regard to state aid, as it does not take sufficient account of the nature of competition faced by European companies in third countries where the same rules are not respected.
ple objective 1
The opinion calls, in point 11, on the European Commission to propose concrete measures to implement the global tax reform agreed by the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework as soon as the negotiations are concluded. On 22 of December 2021 the European Commission did exxactly this by proposing a directive on ensuring Global Minimum Level of Taxation for Multinational groups in the EU based on the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework.
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
- stresses that reconciling the EU's competition rules with its industrial, digital, environmental, climate, social and international trade policies is essential for ensuring a level playing field in all sectors, thus contributing to the development of SMEs;
- points out that some oligopolistic structures have developed in the area of financial services and that some large technology companies have become important players in the financial services market, which requires control and safeguard arrangements for consumers; in this regard, emphasises the importance of applying Article 102 TFEU to online services too, so that small providers from cities and regions that offer their services/products online do not suffer a competitive disadvantage;
- demands equal treatment of the EU's trading partners, and therefore expects the Commission to formalise rules guaranteeing uniform conditions in relation to market access, competition and state aid; any breach of the conditions should entail the suspension of trade on special terms, so that the threat of sanctions has an incentive dimension;
- notes that current activities favouring competition show that non-EU actors are not following the same rules and are receiving strong state support, amongst other things, including financial support. This requires European competition law to be more flexible, particularly with regard to state aid, as it does not take sufficient account of the nature of competition faced by European companies in third countries where the same rules are not respected;