All posts tagged: Teresa Ribera

New merger rules are no free ride for European champions, says Teresa Ribera – POLITICO

New merger rules are no free ride for European champions, says Teresa Ribera – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Ribera, who as executive vice president ranks second to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, enforces antitrust policy across the 27-nation bloc. Her comments contrast with her boss’ calls to nurture European business “champions” that can hold their own against China’s world-beating exporters and U.S. tech titans. The Spanish commissioner said that the industrial restructuring of sectors like telecoms was impeded by the fragmentation of national markets, and not the bloc’s merger rules. “It needs to be proven that there are benefits we will be enjoying in the time to come. And not just: I want to be big,” she said. Ribera also issued a pointed warning to member countries tempted to use the guidelines’ new resilience and security exceptions to pick domestic winners. “We also invite national competition authorities and national governments to make a very self-restrained understanding of what this could mean,” she said. Her remarks follow Italy’s intervention in Milan-based UniCredit’s bid for local rival Banco BPM, and the conditions set by the Spanish government on BBVA’s attempts to acquire Sabadell. Both …

Sánchez seeks to rally global left against rise of far right – POLITICO

Sánchez seeks to rally global left against rise of far right – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The two-day event aims to build a counter to advancing authoritarian and far-right forces, from the nationalist right in Europe — including parties aligned with the Patriots for Europe bloc — to global politics in the age of U.S. President Donald Trump. “This is not an isolated trend,” Löfven said. “It’s a shared challenge that requires a coordinated global response.” The Barcelona program includes a leaders’ dinner on Friday followed by a day of events featuring Socialist group chief Iratxe García and European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera as well as Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum. The gathering also gives Sánchez — the event’s host — a platform to elevate his international profile as a central figure of a renewed global socialist movement. “He’s not just acting as a Spanish leader,” said a senior European Parliament official, granted anonymity to speak freely. “He’s trying to exercise European leadership.” Sánchez could be eyeing a future role in Brussels, potentially challenging European Council President António Costa when the post …

EU says WhatsApp AI terms update fails to resolve antitrust concerns – POLITICO

EU says WhatsApp AI terms update fails to resolve antitrust concerns – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Replacing the legal ban with pricing that has a similar effect does not change our preliminary view that Meta’s conduct appears to be an abuse of its dominant position,” Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera said in a statement. The EU executive is considering whether to impose rare interim measures on Meta to restore access. The updated charge sheet follows Meta’s March announcement that it had replaced the ban with a new pricing framework. The tech giant said at the time that the change in Europe is intended to provide the Commission with “the time it needs to conclude its investigation.” Meta maintains that the AI sector is “highly competitive,” and that rival AI services remain available to customers through app stores, search engines, email providers and operating systems. “The European Commission is proposing to use its regulatory powers to enable some of the largest companies in the world to use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free,” Joshua Breckman, a spokesperson for Meta, said in response to the Commission’s chargesheet. Breckman added that interim measures would …

Former von der Leyen aide’s new role reflects EU competition policy shift – POLITICO

Former von der Leyen aide’s new role reflects EU competition policy shift – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Speaking with POLITICO, Whelan denied that his role was to build a bridge between von der Leyen and the competition department. “I don’t think the president and the EVP are in need of bridges,” he said. Ribera — who as the top socialist in the Commission is a foil to Christian Democrat von der Leyen — also framed the department’s future mandate through a philosophical lens, calling for enforcement grounded in fairness and protecting the vulnerable.  “In these uncertain times, our responsibility is more important than ever: to enforce rules firmly, to remain free from any distorting pressures, to act with integrity,” Ribera wrote. European Commission Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera arriving at the European Pulse Forum in Barcelona on April 10. | David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images Bridge builder or not, competition bubble insiders say Whelan has the bureaucratic and political chops to both manage that relationship and execute on the new competition agenda. “Highly intelligent, politically savvy, pragmatic, open-minded, and a strong believer in vigorous enforcement,” is …

Von der Leyen doubles down in face of energy crisis criticism – POLITICO

Von der Leyen doubles down in face of energy crisis criticism – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“There is criticism and concerns coming from member states, but at the leaders’ retreat [last month in the Belgian countryside] they asked the Commission to come up with solutions on energy,” said one EU official with knowledge of the talks, granted anonymity to speak frankly, as were others quoted in this piece. Described as an orientation debate, the meeting was a chance for commissioners to “exchange ideas on these topics and propose concrete actions,” said the EU official, “particularly in this case, as the president is expected by the member states to present on energy prices at the next EUCO [European Council]. They’re important to member states so it’s important to the Commission.” According to an internal note drafted by EU competition chief Teresa Ribera, a Spanish socialist, and Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, a Danish social democrat, “the recent escalation in the Middle East and the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have had an immediate effect on global energy prices and market volatility.” Oil and gas prices have jumped sharply in the wake of …

EU leaders push to make Europe less dependent on Trump — live updates – POLITICO

EU leaders push to make Europe less dependent on Trump — live updates – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

EU leaders on Thursday head to Alden Biesen castle in the Belgian countryside for a retreat to discuss how to make Europe more competitive as it seeks to reduce dependence on Donald Trump’s America. Slashing red tape will be a major focus of the talks, and on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that EU countries, not just Brussels, are to blame for excessive rules. Scroll down for the latest news and analysis. Source link

EU tells Meta it has to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots – POLITICO

EU tells Meta it has to open WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“My sense is that this is not connected to politics, but connected to well-functioning markets and the protection of consumers,” she said, adding that companies abusing their market power is bad news in every geography.” It is not good news in Europe. It is not good news in the United States.” The commissioner said in a statement issued earlier that it was crucial to protect innovation in artificial intelligence, which is a rapidly evolving space. “That is why we are considering quickly imposing interim measures on Meta, to preserve access for competitors to WhatsApp while the investigation is ongoing, and avoid Meta’s new policy irreparably harming competition in Europe,” she said. The Donald Trump administration has repeatedly criticized the EU for targeting U.S companies with its antitrust rules, particularly on digital platforms, and has pushed the EU to soften its stance amid a tense trade relationship. The Commission late last year launched an investigation into the “WhatsApp Business Solution” — a tool for businesses to communicate with customers — following a similar probe by the Italian …

Von der Leyen tries to stamp out tensions in her top team – POLITICO

Von der Leyen tries to stamp out tensions in her top team – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

While the meeting will focus on competitiveness and will feature a special guest — IMF Managing Director and former Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva — also on the agenda are discussions on “geopolitics in the current context and the working methods of the European Commission,” Commission deputy chief spokesperson Arianna Podestà told POLITICO. The latter element was prompted by what staffers inside the Berlaymont, the Commission’s HQ, describe as an unusually tense atmosphere. The spark for the idea of the meeting, according to four of the Commission officials, was a tense exchange in early December in which Dan Jørgensen, the energy commissioner, confronted Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera during a meeting of the College of Commissioners — as first reported in Brussels Playbook. Jørgensen will be attending the Feb. 4 meeting, his team said. Ribera’s team did not respond. | Thierry Monasse/Getty Images Both commissioners declined to comment on the incident but one official said Jørgensen had raised his voice when confronting Ribera, while another said the Danish commissioner “made a point toward Ribera that …

Europe’s leaders watch silently as Trump torches UN climate treaty – POLITICO

Europe’s leaders watch silently as Trump torches UN climate treaty – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“With Europeans still critically reliant on U.S. intelligence and being able to purchase U.S. arms to ensure Ukraine’s survival, it makes no sense to criticize Trump’s latest assault on combating climate change, just as they haven’t criticized the Venezuela operation,” said Robin Niblett, former director of the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank.  Pick your battles EU leaders have demonstrated this week that violations of international law and multilateral trust are way below the bar for confronting the Trump administration. Only a direct threat to invade European territory in Greenland has stirred Europe’s leaders to respond. “This is the bigger picture we’re seeing — European leaders essentially sort of pick their battles in this environment, and unfortunately, the UNFCCC process isn’t their biggest priority right now,” said Susi Dennison, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.  “The White House doesn’t care about environment, health or suffer[ing] of people,” Teresa Ribera said on social media. | Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images On top of that, she added, Trump’s attacks on climate action have …