The Commission Appoints Eric Gippini Fournier as Hearing Officer

The European Commission has appointed Mr. Eric Gippini Fournier as Hearing Officer for competition cases. From December 1, 2021, he will join Dorothe Dalheimer, who was appointed Hearing Officer in 2020.
The position of Hearing Officer was first established in 1982 to enhance impartiality and objectivity in competition proceedings before the Commission. Over the years, the importance of the position has increased, resulting in strengthened terms of reference in 1994, 2001, and 2011. The Hearing Officers do not belong to the Directorate-General for Competition (DG Competition). For administrative purposes, the Hearing Officers report to the Commissioner for Competition. They must act independently in the performance of their duties.
The Hearing Officer is responsible for organizing and conducting oral hearings and acts as an independent arbiter when a dispute arises regarding the effective exercise of procedural rights between the interested parties and DG Competition in antitrust and merger procedures. In such matters, the Hearing Officer generally intervenes only when the dispute cannot be resolved between the interested parties and DG Competition. The Hearing Officer also decides on applications for hearings from third parties in the procedure. These applications must be submitted directly to the Hearing Officer.