AI-enhanced competition enforcement in the EU

News

16-01-2026

Driven by the growing influence of AI, data science, and digital technologies, national competition authorities are facing increasingly complex analytical and investigative challenges in detecting and addressing anticompetitive behaviour. To support this transition, the EU has launched the Digital Transformation in Competition Enforcement (DICE) project, aimed at strengthening the AI capabilities of 15 national competition authorities across the EU.

DICE

The DICE project, launched in January 2026, aims to strengthen the digital capabilities of National Competition Authorities (NCAs) in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. By combining modular learning paths with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), hybrid training sessions (both in‑person and online), workshops, hands‑on labs, and a robust Train‑the‑Trainer model, the project delivers a comprehensive, scalable, and sustainable capacity-building framework aligned with EU regulatory priorities.

Through these activities, participating authorities will gain access to MOOCs, advanced training, and tailored capacity‑building programmes that enhance their ability to conduct technology-driven investigations, apply consistent enforcement methodologies, and contribute to a more harmonised EU enforcement landscape.

Indirect beneficiaries include businesses operating across EU markets and consumers, who will ultimately benefit from more transparent, effective, and consistent enforcement of competition rules throughout the Member States.

Context

The project is closely aligned with key EU‑wide regulatory and digital transformation initiatives. It directly supports the implementation of the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act, and the AI Act by giving NCAs the skills and tools they need to enforce new digital and platform‑related rules. It also contributes to the European Strategy for Data by improving the ability of NCAs to handle and analyse large amounts of market and behavioural data.

By reducing gaps in digital enforcement capacity between Member States, the project helps the EU prevent regulatory fragmentation and ensure that competition rules are applied consistently across the Union.

In addition, the project promotes interoperability, knowledge‑sharing, and common enforcement standards among NCAs, supporting the wider goals of EU competition policy. It also aligns with the objectives of the Technical Support Instrument, including mutual learning, exchange of good practices, and cross‑country knowledge transfer. This ensures policy coherence and increases the overall impact of digital transformation efforts at both national and EU levels.

Refer to our article on AI and competition law: AI: redefining the bounderies of competition (law).