By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, April 13 (Reuters) - Irish EU veteran Anthony Whelan will head the European Commission's elite competition unit, a senior Commission executive said on Monday, a job which has
Irish EU veteran picked to head European Commission's elite competition unit
Anthony Whelan's Appointment and Its Significance
By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS, April 13 (Reuters) - Irish EU veteran Anthony Whelan will head the European Commission's elite competition unit, EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said on Monday, a job which has taken on added importance amid calls on regulators to ease merger rules and tensions with the United States over tech laws.
Whelan, 57, takes over from Frenchman Olivier Guersent who retired last August after a 33-year career tackling antitrust issues, cartels and financial services.
Whelan's Background and Experience
Well respected internally and in the wider antitrust community, Whelan has a background in handling digital technology issues and has worked closely with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Endorsements and Expectations
"Anthony brings deep experience in European policymaking and a strong understanding of how our rules serve citizens, innovation and fair markets," Ribera said on social media.
"In these uncertain times, our responsibility is more important than ever: to enforce our rules firmly, to remain free from any distorting pressures, to act with integrity, and to remember that our primary duty is grounded in a simple Kantian principle: to act fairly and protect the most vulnerable," she said.
Career Highlights
Three Decades with the EU
THREE DECADES WITH THE EU
A barrister and graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Whelan started his European Union career in 1995 as a legal secretary for an EU Court of Justice advocate general before moving to the Commission's legal service in 2000.
Leadership Roles and Achievements
Between 2008 and 2013 he headed the office of Neelie Kroes, during her stint as EU competition chief when she took on Microsoft and also her subsequent job as EU digital chief.
Whelan became a director at the Commission's digital unit in 2014. He joined von der Leyen's cabinet as her digital adviser in 2019 and was rewarded with the post of deputy director general for state aid in September last year.
Challenges Ahead
Pressure on Merger Rules
The Irishman will have to tackle the mounting pressure from some companies and some EU governments to loosen merger rules to help create European champions to compete with U.S. and Chinese giants.
Led by Europe's biggest telecoms operators, they argue that regulators should widen the current focus on the price impact on consumers to include the potential benefits of sustainability and innovation.
Tech Regulation and U.S. Relations
Whelan will also have to help Ribera grapple with U.S. criticism of landmark rules aiming at reining in the power of Big Tech and ensuring that online giants do a better job policing their platforms.
Ribera is set to decide in the coming months on Google's adtech business, its AI Overview and its spam policy as well as Meta's plan to ban rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp.
(Reporting by Foo Yun CheeEditing by Keith Weir)
