Three Antitrust Officials Walk Into a Room ...

Department of Justice Antitrust Chief Makan Delrahim, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joe Simons and European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager sat down for a meeting in Washington, a moment captured in photo proof posted to Vestager's Twitter feed. Delrahim said, "Our working relationship with the European Commission’s DG Competition [Vestager's office] is essential to ensuring competitive markets in the increasingly interconnected global economy." It's the renewal of a formal relationship between the Americans and their European colleagues, Vestager said adding it's been a "long time" since they've had structured, in-person conversations. "I think it's seven years [that have gone by] without formal consultation," said Vestager. The more informal arrangement worked well, she said, though she expressed enthusiasm for getting back to a more official way of doing business with her colleagues on this side the Atlantic. Vestager wouldn’t say whether she thinks her US counterparts have gone too easy on the Silicon Valley companies that have been the frequent target of her own antitrust investigations. When it comes to case-level questions, Vestager said, her focus is on Europe and the decisions made by the EU.