Brussels, 1 October 2026
The EU Commission appointed today Karl Soukup as Deputy Director-General in charge of State aid within the 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.
Mr Soukup combines extensive expertise in competition enforcement and economic policy with a strong track record in designing and implementing robust enforcement strategies, built over more than 30 years of professional experience. A skilled negotiator, he has played a key role in resolving complex competition cases and advancing policy reviews to strengthen the Single Market. His broad expertise in financial regulation and State aid control is complemented by a strong ability to navigate complex regulatory and enforcement matters. This combination of enforcement, policy and management expertise, underpinned by his deep knowledge of competition matters and extensive institutional experience, makes him particularly well equipped to take on the position of Deputy Director-General for State aid in DG COMP.
Karl Soukup, an Austrian national, is currently Director for Foreign Subsidies in DG COMP. Previously, he was Director for State Aid – General Scrutiny and Enforcement in the same Directorate-General. Earlier in his career, he headed the unit responsible for merger control in Financial Services, Health-related Industries and Chemicals, having previously led the unit for Industrial Restructuring and subsequently the Task Force on the Financial Crisis, all within DG COMP. Before joining the European Commission in 1996, he pursued an academic career at an Austrian university.
Source – EU Commission