Chief Competition Economist

The role of the Chief Competition Economist

Economic advice for case enforcement and policy initiatives

The Chief Economist is part of the Commission's Competition Directorate General, and assists in evaluating the economic impact of its actions. The Chief Economist provides independent guidance on methodological issues of economics and econometrics in the application of EU competition rules. He contributes to individual competition cases (in particular ones involving complex economic issues and quantitative analysis), to the development of general policy instruments, as well as assisting with cases pending before the Community Courts.

Development of economic expertise in the Directorate General

The Chief Economist acts as a focus for economic debate within DG COMP, in liaison with other Commission services and in association with the academic world. Members of his team organise training sessions on economic issues and give advice on studies of a general economic nature, as well as on market monitoring.

The Chief Economist also coordinates the activities of the Economic Advisory Group on Competition Policy (EAGCP).

Contact

Contact the Chief Competition Economist's team

The Chief Competition Economist

Emanuele Tarantino has been the Chief Competition Economist of the European Commission at DG Competition since January 2025. 

Before joining the Commission, he was a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics and Finance of Luiss and a Research Affiliate at EIEF and CEPR. 

Underscoring his involvement in policy advice, between 2017 and 2024, he was a member of the Economic Advisory Group on Competition Policy of the European Commission Chief Economist Team, and between 2023 and 2024, he served as Academic Advisor of the Bank of Spain. 

He holds a PhD in Economics from the European University Institute, and before joining LUISS, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Mannheim. 

His research and teaching interests are in industrial economics, innovation, and financial economics.

Economic Advisory Group on Competition Policy (EAGCP)

The EAGCP creates a discussion forum on competition policy matters between academics who have a recognised reputation in the field of industrial organisation. Members represent different fields of research and academic research centres in Europe. Its main purpose is to support DG Competition in improving the economic reasoning in competition policy analysis.