In a structured dialogue on December 4, 2025, at the European Parliament's ECON Committee, Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera clashed with several MEPs, notably Jonás Fernández (S&D) and Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Renew), over the depth of single market integration and enforcement of competition rules against Big Tech. Fernández urged more initiatives to deepen the EU single market, criticizing the Commission for prioritizing simplification over integration. Ribera concurred on the importance of completing the single market by 2028 but warned against deregulation that might fragment it into 27 national regimes. On digital market enforcement, Yon-Courtin demanded robust, uncompromising application of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) against Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, emphasizing a qualitative approach and cautioning against diluting the DMA’s impact. Ribera confirmed readiness to impose structural remedies if behavioural commitments fail but underscored DMA’s role as preventive, reducing reliance on lengthy antitrust cases.
The debate took place in Brussels during the ECON Committee session that focused on competition policy, antitrust enforcement, merger control, and state aid within the EU. Ribera presented updates on simplifying the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), reforming merger guidelines planned for 2026, and ongoing DMA investigations concerning several tech giants.
MEPs like Markus Ferber (EPP) raised concerns about the adequacy of current merger control rules in addressing killer acquisitions by US tech firms. Ribera responded with concrete plans for revised guidelines that incorporate innovation-related criteria and new mechanisms to call in problematic mergers. On GBER simplification, Enikő Győri (PfE) pressed for clear-cut measures to reduce administrative burdens without sacrificing legal certainty. Ribera detailed extensive consultations and promised draft rules early in 2026 focused on reporting simplification and cost-calculation clarity.
Policy cleavages emerged around increasing versus safeguarding the single market’s regulatory coherence versus the risk of national fragmentation; strengthening DMA enforcement and structural remedies against Big Tech versus preserving flexible regulatory approaches; refining merger control towards a global market perspective versus focusing on EU market-specific competition; and balancing the simplification of state aid rules with legal certainty.
Positive impacts of Ribera’s proposals could include enhanced clarity and reduced bureaucratic load for businesses, particularly SMEs, through GBER simplification, facilitating timely investment decisions. Strong DMA enforcement promises better consumer protection and fairer market competition but may increase compliance costs for large digital platforms. Revised merger guidelines factoring innovation aim to safeguard the EU’s technological edge, challenging for large tech with global operations.
National authorities and EU regulatory bodies would need to adjust monitoring and enforcement resources, while EU producers and consumers might benefit from a more integrated market and fairer conditions. However, political sensitivities remain, particularly around claims of state aid misuse and pressures on industrial and climate policies, which Ribera addressed with calls for unified political commitment.
Looking ahead, Ribera’s commitments to deliver a revised GBER framework in early 2026, implement DMA actions against major tech players, and overhaul merger guidelines signal a sustained effort to balance EU competitiveness, market integration, and regulatory clarity. The European Parliament will likely scrutinize these initiatives closely, seeking to strengthen the single market while ensuring effective and predictable competition enforcement.