11 In the context of our review of the rules on vertical and horizontal agreements, we will also look at relationships between companies in the digital field. Indeed, the platforms play an ever-growing role in the distribution of goods and services and some of the business models they enable cannot be easily understood according to the concepts traditionally associated with vertical relationships between manufacturers and distributors in the physical distribution environment. Nonetheless, it is important for manufacturers, distributors and platforms to correctly interpret our rules so that they know when their agreements are exempt and when they are not. The issues of data sharing or licensing essential patents will also be evaluated in our review of the rules on horizontal agreements. While our regulatory work is essential in ensuring the proper functioning of the markets in which large digital platforms operate, we are continuing our individual investigations. These investigations provide us with in-depth knowledge of the markets in question and allow us to address the identified competition concerns, through remedies. For example, we are at various stages of progress in investigations into Google, Amazon and Apple. The Commission has ambitious plans for the environment, with the Green Deal in particular. What role can competition policy In general, the role of competition in promoting play in this area? innovation was confirmed by a wide range of speakers and contributions. Europe’s ambition is to fight climate change and push State aid control has emerged as an important forward the Green Deal. This is also the European Union’s instrument to contribute to the greening of growth strategy. For this strategy to succeed, we need the economy and environmental protection, suitable laws and regulations, but also innovation and with a range of suggestions, such as prohibiting aid to functioning markets. This requires a robust and vigorous activities that harm the environment, requiring mitigating competition policy. We see competition policy measures from Member States or beneficiaries if the as a "subcontractor of the Green Deal". supported activity has negative environmental impacts, The competition rules are already helping make and requiring Member States to systematically assess our economy greener. Our rules on state aid encourage environmental impacts in their state aid notifications. governments to invest in renewable energy. We have With the ongoing revision of the guidelines on state aid witnessed an unprecedented fall in the cost of supporting for environmental protection and energy, we plan to put renewable energy, because state aid rules now require in place a framework that allows Member States to support calls for tender to distribute this money. The cost of their green ambitions while maintaining a level playing field supporting solar energy has fallen by 50%. Some offshore within the internal market. wind projects are now being implemented without any As regards antitrust rules, we have understood the need subsidies. for clear rules and more legal certainty, in order to maximise Our rules on anticompetitive practices and mergers help the potential for companies to contribute to efforts to maintain competitive pressure on companies to use make our economy greener. We also understand that resources efficiently and to innovate. cooperation between companies can help accelerate In order to open up the debate on the role of competition these efforts. Our reflection process to identify policy in the fight against climate change to a broader the necessary clarifications is ongoing. audience, we launched a reflection process through As such, we are currently working on a document a call for contributions and organised a major conference that will review the lessons learned from this process on 4 February 2021, bringing together different perspectives and present the changes envisaged in the context on the subject: academics, public authorities, including of our review of the competition rules. We are working competition authorities, economists, lawyers, businesses towards its publication in the near future. and civil society organisations. TALK