Competition

Consumers benefit when competition can thrive on fair and open markets. This is because competition gives companies the incentives to invest in new, innovative goods and services and to offer consumers more choice and better value for money.

Consumer organisations are in a strong position to provide essential insights into how markets are functioning and people’s expectations because they receive feedback from their members who are in daily contact with consumers. That is why consumer organisations can give valuable input to competition authorities when they investigate anticompetitive behaviour and mergers or to alert them when markets are not performing as consumers expect.

BEUC has been and continues to be involved in a number of important and high-profile antitrust cases. These include the Google Search (Shopping) and Google Android cases, the case against Aspen Pharma for excessive pricing of pharmaceuticals, the geo-blocking of cross-border pay-TV (Canal+ case), the investigation into Apple using its App Store rules to distort competition for music streaming services, and the investigation against Amazon for competing unfairly with sellers on its marketplace to name but a few. The conduct of the companies in these cases harmed or could harm consumer choice or lead to consumers paying higher prices.

We also work to highlight the consumer perspective when the European Commission investigates mergers concerning consumer products and services, such as Google’s takeover of Fitbit.
In addition, BEUC actively engages with EU policy makers when the competition framework is being updated or when policy changes and related legislation might impact consumers.

• Ensure the European Commission and national competition authorities prioritise consumer interests when enforcing EU competition rules
• Ensure the EU upholds consumer interests when it updates its competition and related instruments, including changes to face the challenges of digital markets and the climate crisis.
• Work with competition authorities to encourage them to engage with consumer organisations more systematically.