M. Vestager: With the ‘House of Competition and the Consumer’, citizens will see that the market serves the consumer

The decision for the creation of a “House of Competition and the Consumer” in the center of Athens, characterized the vice-president of the European Commission, Margaret Vestager.

“I think it will make it easier for citizens to see that the market serves the consumer,” the vice president said at the Competition Commission event in Zappeion, during which it was announced that the Competition Commission would relocate to a building in downtown Athens, owned by now of the Bank of Greece.

The building is going to create an administrative multi-space as, in addition to the services of the Competition Commission, it is planned to transfer the Consumer Ombudsman, services of the Ministry of Development and Investment, as well as other bodies.

The event was attended by the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Mrs. Margaret Vestager, the Minister of Development and Investment, Adonis Georgiadis, the President of the Competition Commission, Ioannis Lianos, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece, Theodoros Pelagoris Vice President of the Competition Commission, Kalliopi Benetatou, approved by the Hellenic Parliament, new Vice President of the Competition Commission, Hara Nikolopoulou, the Head of the European Commission Delegation in Athens, Niovi Rigou and representatives of productive organizations.

On the sidelines of the event, Mr. Georgiadis had a meeting with Mrs. Vestager.

As Mrs Vestager said after the event: “It is indeed progress to build a real home for the Competition Commission and the Consumer Ombudsman. I think it will make it easier for citizens to see that the market serves the consumer.” the effort is made: Everyone has the power to achieve the best result “.

In his greeting at the event, the Minister pointed out, among other things:

“First of all, I want to emphasize that thanks to the solidarity, support and cooperation of the European Union, the Greek economy emerged from the financial crisis of 2010, is in a much better situation today and the Greek people are looking to the future with more optimism. So thank you, dear Mrs Vestager, and you personally and all your colleagues for their constructive cooperation.

I would like to thank the President of the Competition Commission, Mr. Giannis Lianos and his team, the Vice President, Ms. Benetatou, whose term is coming to an end and with whom we had an excellent cooperation. During these three years we have managed to work together effectively. We believe in the independence of the Competition Authority. We believe that the application of market laws leads to the best result.

With today’s decision we are taking a big step forward: to create a real “House of Competition and Consumer” in the center of Athens, in the historic building that once housed the National Opera. At a strategic point as opposed to the Athens Bar Association, whose members often deal with the services of the Competition Commission and the Consumer Ombudsman and very close to the Council of State where many cases end, as well as university faculties, students who will have the opportunity to visit these Authorities which are so important for the economy and the functioning of the market.

We have the vision to create more than one building: as I said, the “House of Competition and the Consumer”, which will also help educate market people to follow its rules, which in the end is to their advantage .

I would like to thank the Bank of Greece, of course the Governor and my close friend, Giannis Stournara, but in this case much more the Deputy Governor, Theodoros Pelagidis, as the central bank as the owner of the building contributed constructively to all this effort, so that after from some years to see the building and be proud that it started in our day.

Thank you again, Madam Vice President. You have proved that you are a real friend of Greece “.

In a statement after the event, he said: “The Government fully supports the effort of the Competition Commission, the Consumer Ombudsman and various other important public services to have a real house in the center of Athens that will serve the citizens, will contribute to the achievement. I would like to thank in particular the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Mrs Vestager, who was with us here today, and her full support the good future of the Greek people “.

The chairman of the Competition Commission, Ioannis Lianos, stressed: “Our aim was to create a multipurpose public administration space that is unparalleled in Greece by strengthening the cooperation of both the Competition Commission with the Consumer Protection authorities and especially the Consumer Ombudsman, but also in cooperation with other bodies, the Consumer Associations, the Associations of Small and Medium Enterprises, which must play an important and constructive role in strengthening and promoting the idea and culture of competition in the country.

It is, therefore, an important project that is progressing and I hope it will be completed in a few years “.

Finally, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece Theodoros Pelagidis stated: “The Bank of Greece has contributed both with ideas and the building which is the most important. An area is always important for cooperation because it defines, signals and stigmatizes in its good sense. “The cooperation of all bodies, which in this case are independent bodies, very important and I would say so necessary in this period, as the Competition Commission, for the restraint of prices and the better functioning of the market”.

Source: AMPE