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Neelie Kroes, EU Commissioner for Competition, delivered the keynote presentation at a special conference marking 50 years since the signing of the EU Treaty, held at IESE (University of Navarra) recently. In her remarks, she discussed the founding principles of the EU treaty and differences among member states, as well as the importance of competition policy. Her presentation is featured in this IESE podcast.

Europe's market is unique in the world, not only in terms of size, but also because "500 million people made a statement that it is better to work together to turn good into gold," she said. Kroes, who is from The Netherlands, was ranked among the "100 Most Powerful Women" by Forbes magazine in 2007. In her role with the EU Commission, she has focused on two industries, energy and financial services, while taking a tough stance on anti-trust issues.

Effective competition policy is a critical instrument for benefiting consumers, as well as the European economy, Kroes said. Reflecting on how the EU was originally founded to preserve peace and aid progress, Kroes said, "Europe has built a unique model on the basis of shared traditions, institutions, values, creativity, commerce and political leadership -  and increasing involvement of its citizens."

The conference, "Fifty Years of the Treaty: Assessment and Perspectives of Competition Policy in Europe," was organized by the IESE's Public-Private Sector Research Center, and coordinated by Prof. Xavier Vives. It was held Nov. 19-20 at IESE's Barcelona campus.

More information about the conference