Joint statement by the Nordic competition authorities on digital markets and the development of European competition law

The Nordic competition authorities have today published a joint statement on their vision for competition, competition law enforcement and regulatory development in the era of digital markets. The statement is the Nordic competition authorities' contribution to the current debate on competition enforcement in digital markets and possible changes to European regulation.

Increased digitalisation has led to new opportunities, but has also brought new challenges. On the international stage, there is now a discussion about how to shape the legal framework and ensure effective competition oversight for the benefit of consumers. The European Commission is now considering significantly strengthening the powers of competition authorities to defend competition in the changed environment. The statement from the Nordic authorities is a contribution to that discussion.

The statement discusses the benefits that have resulted from digital platforms, the challenges posed by their growing scale, and what can be learned from the enforcement of competition law in the Nordic countries.

Challenges related to digital markets are often international in nature. Therefore, the Nordic competition authorities emphasise the importance of international cooperation, the consistent application of competition rules in Europe, and ensuring that competition law is predictable and transparent.

The Nordic competition authorities also support the European Commission's ongoing review into whether the powers of competition authorities to intervene in markets generally need to be increased.

The directors-general of the Nordic competition authorities:

 „The Nordic competition authorities have strong ties and a long history of cooperation. which is based on the shared values of the countries. The supervisory authorities highly value Nordic cooperation and we are very pleased to issue this joint statement as a contribution to the discussion.“

The statement is available here.

The joint press release of the Nordic supervisory authorities is available in English. here.