Brussels, 30 September 2026
The EU Commission appointed today Thomas Deisenhofer as Director for Cartels within its Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP). This department is responsible for EU policy on competition, and for enforcing EU competition rules, in cooperation with national competition authorities. The date of effect of this decision will be determined later.
With almost three decades of experience in the field, Mr Deisenhofer brings deep and wide-ranging expertise in competition enforcement and policy. He has worked across several competition instruments and combines a strong command of competition law and economics with extensive experience in different functions within DG COMP. In competition enforcement, he has led a number of significant cases, particularly in the area of merger control, including the negotiation of complex remedies and contributions to landmark litigation. He has also developed substantial expertise in ex post economic evaluation, designing and leading high-quality economic studies, including research underpinning the Commission’s first report on the evolution of competition in the EU. His skills range from advanced legal and economic analysis to leading large, high-performing teams and fostering effective cooperation with competition authorities in Europe and worldwide. His broad enforcement and policy experience, institutional knowledge and strong management skills provide a solid foundation for leading the Directorate for Cartels in DG COMP.
Mr Deisenhofer, a German-French dual national, is Principal Adviser for Ex Post Economic Evaluation in DG COMP. Prior to this, he headed the unit responsible for merger control in basic industries, manufacturing and agriculture within the same Directorate-General. Earlier, he was Head of Unit for merger control in IT, telecommunications and media, and also served as Assistant to the Director-General in DG COMP. Before joining the European Commission in 2002, he worked as a référendaire at the European Court of Justice.
Source – EU Commission