A 2024 European Commission study found that EU markets became more concentrated, with rising corporate profits and consumer prices, weaker business dynamism and slower productivity growth.

Omissions

• The report presents these as broad trends/indications found in a range of sectors over the past 25 years, not as a uniform deterioration across all EU markets; the Commission's own framing links weaker competition only 'possibly' to some adverse outcomes (e.g. the slides state changes are 'possibly linked to adverse' effects).
• The report's price evidence is expressed mainly through rising markups and profit rates (price-cost margins), which the Commission interprets as an indicator of increased market power and hence of higher prices for consumers; it does not present a single aggregate 'consumer price' figure attributable to weaker competition.
• The claim correctly attributes the work to the European Commission and to 2024 (report published 24 June 2024), so the MEP could have known it at the session date.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission – 'Protecting competition in a changing world: Evidence on the evolution of competition in the EU during the past 25 years' (staff working document, June 2024)"Among other trends, research reports an increase in concentration, markups, and profit rates, accompanied by reduced job reallocation and startup rates"; the report also estimates that "the increase in market power observed since 2000 has had a negative effect on GDP of 5.1% if the TFP [channel is considered]".
• PrimaryEuropean Commission – June 2024 report slides/summary 'Protecting competition in a changing world'"competition may have contributed to (i) lower business dynamism, (ii) slower productivity growth, (iii) decline of labour share, (iv) lower resilience"; "Globally, indications of fundamental changes: concentration, markups and profits, business dynamism."
• SecondarySlaughter and May – 'European Commission publishes report on how conditions of competition have changed over the last 25 years'"On 24 June 2024, the European Commission published a report titled 'Protecting competition in a changing world'. The report presents ..." (confirms existence, title and publication date of the Commission study cited by the MEP).