Christine LAGARDE Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment 1956 Birth 1981 Lawyer, Baker & McKenzie, Paris 1999-2004 Chair of the Global Executive Committee, Baker & McKenzie 2002 Ranked as the 5th European businesswoman by the Wall Street Journal Europe 2004-2005 Chair of the Global Strategic Committee, Baker & McKenzie 2005-2007 Minister for International Trade Since June 2007 Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment Christine LAGARDE: The Minister Advocate for Competition First of all, could you briefly recall your career path, which is rather atypical for a Minister of the Economy? After French and American training, I joined the Paris office of the international law firm Baker & McKenzie. I then worked my way up through the firm's
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INTERVIEW
Christine Lagarde (Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment): The Minister advocate of competition
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- First of all, could you briefly recall your career path, which is rather atypical for a Minister of the Economy?
– You were personally involved in the vote on the Law on the Modernisation of the Economy, which was passed on 4 August. Competition law is only one part of this law, but could you explain the importance of this aspect in the LME and its articulation with the Government’s plans?
– The implementation of the LME will require numerous implementing texts, in particular an ordinance and a decree on competition. Could you give us a timetable for the adoption of these implementing instruments?
– French practice has shown the frequent use of explanatory circulars on producer/distributor relations. Do you envisage the adoption of a circular in order to clarify the application of the LME to this sector, particularly in its relationship with criminal law?
– As Minister in charge of the DGCCRF, how do you envisage the articulation of competences between the decentralised services of the DG and the services of the future Authority?
– What powers should in your view remain with political control in the field of concentrations? What could be the contours of the ministerial power of evocation?
– In your recent intervention on compliance programs, you stressed the need to structure the implementation of antitrust compliance programs within the framework of accounting and financial rules, particularly with regard to exemptions. Could you elaborate?
– In the context of the bill to decriminalise business life, how can the maintenance of certain offences be linked to the settlement and leniency procedures, at both internal and Community level? How can personal liability - of an employee, of a manager - be articulated with the collective liability of the company?
– You recently stressed the importance of a competitive culture for growth. From your point of view, what are the possible limits to taking competition imperatives into account?
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