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).

Lluís Saurí has been Acting Chief Competition Economist since August 2023. He has been also Head of Unit and Deputy Director of the Chief Economist Team. He was previously economic analyst and antitrust case handler at DG Competition, since joining the European Commission as permanent official in 2013. He had previously worked as economic adviser at the Competition Commission in the UK and as economic consultant in the private sector.

Lluís Saurí holds a PhD in Economics by the European University Institute, an MSc in Economics by the London School of Economics and Political Science, a BSc in Economics by the University of Barcelona and a Diploma on Leadership for Public Management by the IESE Business School. He regularly participates in professional conferences, teaches at various universities and publishes on journals in the field of competition economics and regulation.

Contact the Chief Competition Economist's team