EU Competition Chief Holds Firm on Antitrust, Signals New Balance With Dialogue

Key Takeaways

• EU Stance: Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to levy major fines on companies that breach antitrust law.
• Google Case: The €2.95 billion ($3.46 billion) fine against Alphabet’s Google may force structural changes to its adtech operations.
• U.S. Tensions: Former U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the fine as a disguised tax and threatened retaliatory tariffs.
• Soft Enforcement: Ribera signaled that “soft enforcement”, negotiated settlements, will play a growing role alongside fines.
• Microsoft Example: The EU’s long-running Teams probe ended in settlement after Microsoft made new concessions.

Deep Dive

The European Union’s competition commissioner Teresa Ribera has made clear that Brussels won’t be softening its stance on antitrust enforcement, even as it tests a new balance between headline-grabbing fines and quieter negotiations with multinational companies.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Florence, Ribera said fines must remain “adequate” to sanction wrongdoing, underscoring the EU’s readiness to impose significant penalties on firms that break competition law, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Her comments come in the immediate aftermath of the European Commission’s €2.95 billion ($3.46 billion) fine against Alphabet’s Google, a decision that reignited long-running tensions between Brussels and Washington.

The case against Google centers on allegations that its advertising technology unfairly privileges its own products. The Commission has ordered the company to address conflicts of interest across its adtech supply chain, potentially through divestiture. While Google has vowed to appeal, Ribera indicated structural remedies may be unavoidable.

The enforcement decision drew sharp criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who characterized the EU’s actions as a disguised tax on American tech champions and threatened retaliatory tariffs. The exchange has fueled speculation that trade disputes could complicate the bloc’s enforcement posture. Ribera, however, rejected any suggestion of wavering resolve. “I feel absolutely backed by Ursula von der Leyen,” she said, emphasizing the Commission president’s support.

What marks a shift under Ribera’s leadership is her openness to what she calls “soft enforcement”, settlements and negotiated solutions that avoid protracted infringement cases. She was quick to stress this is not about leniency but about effectiveness. “It is not soft because we show mercy, but because we find other means than an infringement procedure to comply with our goals,” she said.

That approach was on display the same day as her remarks, when Brussels settled its long-running probe into Microsoft’s Teams platform after the company offered fresh concessions.

For businesses, Ribera’s comments suggest a more nuanced enforcement landscape: fines will remain an ever-present threat, but the Commission may increasingly push companies toward early settlements to align conduct with EU rules. For policymakers, the challenge will be navigating the fine line between maintaining the bloc’s reputation as a tough regulator and managing the diplomatic fallout of clashes with the U.S.

The message from Florence, though, was unambiguous. Whether through fines or settlements, Brussels intends to continue shaping global competition standards.

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