The portfolio has responsibility for such matters as commercial competition, company mergers, cartels, state aid, and antitrust law.

The Competition Commissioner is one of the most powerful positions in the commission, and indeed the world, and is notable in affecting global regulatory practices in a phenomenon known as the Brussels effect.

I regret that the companies were not able to agree on a solution that would have met the Commission's competition concerns.Rather than be blocked from the European market, the merger was abandoned.

[2] On 1 May 2004 Monti oversaw a radical change in the Competition powers of the Commission concerning antitrust regulation, merger controls, licensing agreements and air transport.

Since then she states that she promotes a fair and free business environment, achieving sustainable economic growth and higher employment.

[8] In response to the ruling the US Justice Departments top antitrust official, Thomas Barnett, criticised the ruling which sparked a response from Kroes stating that "It is totally unacceptable that a representative of the US administration criticises an independent court of law outside its jurisdiction ...

[10] Joaquín Almunia, previously the Finance Commissioner, took on the competition portfolio under the second Barroso Commission in 2010 and was expected to have a tenure similar to Kroes' stringent run.