Presented by The Capitol Forum and Geradin Partners
Sofitel Brussels Europe | September 22, 2026
Three years after the European Commission designated the first gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act, Europe’s digital rulebook has entered a new phase. The focus has shifted from implementation to enforcement, while rapid advances in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other digital technologies are raising new questions about how existing regulatory frameworks should evolve.
Join senior officials from the European Commission, leading technology companies, legal practitioners, academics, journalists and industry stakeholders for a full-day conference exploring the future of digital regulation, competition policy and innovation in Europe.
The conference will examine the practical lessons emerging from the DMA’s first years of enforcement, the interaction between the DMA and the European Union’s broader digital regulatory framework, and the policy choices that will shape digital markets in the years ahead. Through keynote presentations, expert panel discussions and a closing fireside chat, participants will explore how regulators and businesses are responding to an increasingly complex and interconnected digital landscape.
Featured Discussion Topics
The future of DMA enforcement: What lessons have emerged from the Commission’s first investigations, where has the framework succeeded, and what challenges remain?
AI and the DMA: Can existing rules adapt to generative AI, AI assistants and rapidly evolving digital services, or will new regulatory approaches be needed?
Cloud computing and digital infrastructure: What should the future regulatory framework look like for cloud services, and how can Europe promote competition while encouraging innovation and investment?
Regulatory convergence: How should the DMA interact with the AI Act, the Digital Services Act, GDPR and EU competition law to create a coherent digital rulebook?
The future of Europe’s digital economy: How will evolving technologies, competition policy and geopolitical developments shape digital markets over the coming years?
Networking coffee, lunch and a closing drinks reception are included with registration.
This complimentary event is by invitation only. Space is limited and advance registration is required.
Questions? Please contact The Capitol Forum team at events@tcfpress.com.
Privacy Notice: The Capitol Forum and Geradin Partners value your privacy. Information shared in connection with this event will be handled carefully and used only for event-related purposes in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
This sharing does not extend to marketing, profiling or any unrelated use of your data by either organization. You may exercise your rights under the GDPR, including access, rectification, erasure, restriction and objection, by contacting either party.
Dr. Alberto Bacchiega is Director for Digital Platforms at the European Commission’s DG COMP, where he leads the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act. He joined the Commission in 2000 and has worked across State aid and merger control in telecoms, finance, and pharma.
Dr. Konstantina Bania is a Partner at Geradin Partners and a leading expert in digital regulation, competition law and platform regulation. She advises clients on high-stakes antitrust investigations, platform practices and compliance strategies involving the DMA, DSA, P2B Regulation and emerging AI frameworks. She is also the author of The Digital Markets Act: How the EU Regulates Big Tech.
Nick Banasevic is Corporate Vice President and Head of Competition and Regulation for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Microsoft, where he leads the company’s competition policy and regulatory engagement across the region. Before joining Microsoft, he served as Managing Director in the Brussels office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and spent more than two decades at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition, where he led landmark antitrust investigations in the technology sector and served as Acting Director responsible for antitrust, merger, and state aid cases.
Oliver Bethell is Head of Competition, Regulatory Engagement & Advisory at Google. He works on competition policy, regulatory engagement and advisory matters, including issues related to Europe’s evolving digital regulatory framework and the implementation of the Digital Markets Act.
Filomena Chirico leads the European Commission’s DG CONNECT unit responsible for implementing the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Previously, she served in the Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton, where she helped lead the development and negotiation of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, and was a case handler in DG Competition focused on the ICT sector. Before joining the Commission, she was an assistant professor at Tilburg University and remains a visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges. She holds advanced degrees in law, law and economics, and institutional economics, with academic expertise in competition, telecommunications, and digital regulation.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Höppner is a Partner at Geradin Partners and a competition lawyer focused on digital regulation, private enforcement and the Digital Markets Act. He has advised clients in major antitrust and regulatory matters across the technology, media and network industries, and is recognized for his work challenging abuses of market power by large technology platforms. He has published widely on competition law and digital markets.
Jérémie Jourdan is a partner at Geradin Partners. He brings combined experience as a private practitioner, in-house counsel, and official at the European Commission. Before joining the firm in September 2025, he was Director of Competition Law and Public Policy at Schibsted Marketplaces (now Vend) in Oslo (2023–2025), partner at White & Case in Brussels (until 2023), and official at the European Commission’s Hearing Office (2010–2012). Jérémie’s practice covers antitrust, merger control, and digital regulation (DMA, DSA, Data Act, AI Act).
Barbara Moens is an EU Correspondent for the Financial Times in Brussels, where she covers technology, digital policy, and competition across the European Union. Before joining the Financial Times, she was Chief EU Correspondent at POLITICO Europe, reporting on European policymaking and regulation. Her reporting focuses on competition policy, Big Tech, artificial intelligence, and the European Union’s evolving digital rulebook, making her one of Brussels’ leading journalists covering technology and regulatory affairs.
Sébastien Pant is Senior Officer – Competition and Digital Enforcement at BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation. His work focuses on competition policy and the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act, with particular attention to ensuring that consumers benefit from greater choice and fairer competition in digital markets. He has also worked across digital policy, communications, health, energy and enforcement actions at BEUC.
Tasos Stampelos is Director of EU Public Policy at Mozilla, where he leads the organization’s EU public policy and government relations work. His work focuses on online platforms, privacy, security, consumer choice and competition in digital markets, including the implementation of Europe’s digital regulatory framework.
Samuel Stolton is a Brussels-based journalist at Bloomberg News, where he covers European Union law, competition policy and technology regulation. His reporting focuses on EU antitrust enforcement, digital markets, Big Tech regulation and the policy debates shaping Europe’s technology agenda.
Shula Teare van Hagan is Associate General Counsel at DuckDuckGo, where she works across EU, UK, and US digital regulation and competition law. Her work centres on the Digital Markets Act, the UK’s digital competition framework, and the implementation of remedies in search markets, alongside online safety compliance. Before moving into regulatory and competition practice, she held roles at Uber and Lime, leading micromobility launches across EMEA.
Javier Espinoza is an award-winning journalist and a leading voice in Brussels regulatory coverage. Before joining The Capitol Forum, he spent more than eight years at the Financial Times, serving as Private Equity Correspondent in London and EU Correspondent covering competition and digital policy in Brussels. He was also part of the team that launched the FT’s Due Diligence newsletter. His work has appeared in the Daily Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal.
Damien Geradin is the founding partner of Geradin Partners and a leading authority on EU competition law. He has represented clients in high-stakes European Commission investigations, including complex abuse of dominance matters in the technology, media and telecommunications sectors, and has particular expertise in standard-essential patent licensing. He is also Professor of Competition Law and Economics at Tilburg University and a visiting professor at University College London, having previously held visiting positions at Columbia, Harvard, Michigan, Yale and the College of Europe. Chambers has recognized him as one of the leading antitrust thinkers and practitioners in Europe.
Address: Place Jourdan 1, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Please join us at the Sofitel Brussels Europe, located in the heart of Brussels’ European Quarter on the vibrant Place Jourdan. The venue is within walking distance of the European Parliament, European Commission, and other major EU institutions, making it an ideal setting for discussions on the future of digital regulation and competition policy in Europe.
Surrounded by Leopold Park and just a short walk from Cinquantenaire Park, the hotel offers convenient access to Brussels’ public transportation network and is only a few metro stops from the historic city centre and Grand Place.
The conference will take place in the hotel’s recently renovated meeting facilities, with networking breaks, lunch, and a closing drinks reception included as part of the program.
Questions?
Please contact The Capitol Forum team at events@tcfpress.com.
Presented by The Capitol Forum and Geradin Partners
Brussels | September 22, 2026
Agenda Overview
08:45 – 09:15 — Registration and Networking Coffee
09:15 – 09:30 — Introductory Remarks
09:30 – 10:00 — Opening Keynote: Alberto Bacchiega, Director for Digital Platforms, DG COMP, European Commission
10:00 – 11:15 — Panel 1: Successes, Failures and Unfinished Business
11:15 – 12:30 — Panel 2: Artificial Intelligence and the DMA
12:30 – 13:45 — Networking Lunch
13:45 – 14:15 — Afternoon Keynote
14:15 – 15:30 — Panel 3: Beyond the DMA? Fitting the DMA Within Europe’s Digital Rulebook
15:30 – 15:45 — Coffee Break
15:45 – 17:00 — Fireside Chat: Where Do We See DMA Enforcement Five Years From Now?
17:00 – 18:30 — Closing Drinks Reception
Opening Keynote
The conference will open with a keynote address by Alberto Bacchiega, Director for Digital Platforms at DG COMP, European Commission. The keynote will set the stage for the day by taking stock of the DMA review and enforcement to date, while identifying key open questions and next milestones for Europe’s digital rulebook.
Panel 1: Successes, Failures and Unfinished Business
Three years after the first gatekeeper designations, the Digital Markets Act has entered a more mature phase of enforcement. This panel will assess what has worked, what remains unresolved and where remedies may need to evolve.
Discussion topics include:
Panel 2: Artificial Intelligence and the DMA
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded within core platform services, raising new questions about the scope and application of the DMA. This panel will examine whether existing rules remain fit for purpose as AI-driven products and digital infrastructure continue to evolve.
Discussion topics include:
Panel 3: Beyond the DMA? Fitting the DMA Within Europe’s Digital Rulebook
As DMA enforcement continues to evolve, it increasingly intersects with a broader framework of European and national digital regulation. This panel will explore how regulators and businesses are navigating overlapping legal frameworks and enforcement priorities.
Discussion topics include:
Fireside Chat: Where Do We See DMA Enforcement Five Years From Now?
As the Digital Markets Act continues to mature, policymakers and regulators are increasingly looking beyond its initial implementation toward its long-term evolution. This closing conversation will examine the policy choices, technological developments and enforcement priorities likely to shape the next phase of digital regulation in Europe.
Discussion topics include:
Presented by The Capitol Forum and Geradin Partners
Sofitel Brussels Europe | September 22, 2026
Three years after the European Commission designated the first gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act, Europe’s digital rulebook has entered a new phase. The focus has shifted from implementation to enforcement, while rapid advances in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other digital technologies are raising new questions about how existing regulatory frameworks should evolve.
Join senior officials from the European Commission, leading technology companies, legal practitioners, academics, journalists and industry stakeholders for a full-day conference exploring the future of digital regulation, competition policy and innovation in Europe.
The conference will examine the practical lessons emerging from the DMA’s first years of enforcement, the interaction between the DMA and the European Union’s broader digital regulatory framework, and the policy choices that will shape digital markets in the years ahead. Through keynote presentations, expert panel discussions and a closing fireside chat, participants will explore how regulators and businesses are responding to an increasingly complex and interconnected digital landscape.
Featured Discussion Topics
The future of DMA enforcement: What lessons have emerged from the Commission’s first investigations, where has the framework succeeded, and what challenges remain?
AI and the DMA: Can existing rules adapt to generative AI, AI assistants and rapidly evolving digital services, or will new regulatory approaches be needed?
Cloud computing and digital infrastructure: What should the future regulatory framework look like for cloud services, and how can Europe promote competition while encouraging innovation and investment?
Regulatory convergence: How should the DMA interact with the AI Act, the Digital Services Act, GDPR and EU competition law to create a coherent digital rulebook?
The future of Europe’s digital economy: How will evolving technologies, competition policy and geopolitical developments shape digital markets over the coming years?
Networking coffee, lunch and a closing drinks reception are included with registration.
This complimentary event is by invitation only. Space is limited and advance registration is required.
Questions? Please contact The Capitol Forum team at events@tcfpress.com.
Privacy Notice: The Capitol Forum and Geradin Partners value your privacy. Information shared in connection with this event will be handled carefully and used only for event-related purposes in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
This sharing does not extend to marketing, profiling or any unrelated use of your data by either organization. You may exercise your rights under the GDPR, including access, rectification, erasure, restriction and objection, by contacting either party.
Dr. Alberto Bacchiega is Director for Digital Platforms at the European Commission’s DG COMP, where he leads the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act. He joined the Commission in 2000 and has worked across State aid and merger control in telecoms, finance, and pharma.
Dr. Konstantina Bania is a Partner at Geradin Partners and a leading expert in digital regulation, competition law and platform regulation. She advises clients on high-stakes antitrust investigations, platform practices and compliance strategies involving the DMA, DSA, P2B Regulation and emerging AI frameworks. She is also the author of The Digital Markets Act: How the EU Regulates Big Tech.
Nick Banasevic is Corporate Vice President and Head of Competition and Regulation for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Microsoft, where he leads the company’s competition policy and regulatory engagement across the region. Before joining Microsoft, he served as Managing Director in the Brussels office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and spent more than two decades at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition, where he led landmark antitrust investigations in the technology sector and served as Acting Director responsible for antitrust, merger, and state aid cases.
Oliver Bethell is Head of Competition, Regulatory Engagement & Advisory at Google. He works on competition policy, regulatory engagement and advisory matters, including issues related to Europe’s evolving digital regulatory framework and the implementation of the Digital Markets Act.
Filomena Chirico leads the European Commission’s DG CONNECT unit responsible for implementing the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Previously, she served in the Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton, where she helped lead the development and negotiation of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, and was a case handler in DG Competition focused on the ICT sector. Before joining the Commission, she was an assistant professor at Tilburg University and remains a visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges. She holds advanced degrees in law, law and economics, and institutional economics, with academic expertise in competition, telecommunications, and digital regulation.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Höppner is a Partner at Geradin Partners and a competition lawyer focused on digital regulation, private enforcement and the Digital Markets Act. He has advised clients in major antitrust and regulatory matters across the technology, media and network industries, and is recognized for his work challenging abuses of market power by large technology platforms. He has published widely on competition law and digital markets.
Jérémie Jourdan is a partner at Geradin Partners. He brings combined experience as a private practitioner, in-house counsel, and official at the European Commission. Before joining the firm in September 2025, he was Director of Competition Law and Public Policy at Schibsted Marketplaces (now Vend) in Oslo (2023–2025), partner at White & Case in Brussels (until 2023), and official at the European Commission’s Hearing Office (2010–2012). Jérémie’s practice covers antitrust, merger control, and digital regulation (DMA, DSA, Data Act, AI Act).
Barbara Moens is an EU Correspondent for the Financial Times in Brussels, where she covers technology, digital policy, and competition across the European Union. Before joining the Financial Times, she was Chief EU Correspondent at POLITICO Europe, reporting on European policymaking and regulation. Her reporting focuses on competition policy, Big Tech, artificial intelligence, and the European Union’s evolving digital rulebook, making her one of Brussels’ leading journalists covering technology and regulatory affairs.
Sébastien Pant is Senior Officer – Competition and Digital Enforcement at BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation. His work focuses on competition policy and the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act, with particular attention to ensuring that consumers benefit from greater choice and fairer competition in digital markets. He has also worked across digital policy, communications, health, energy and enforcement actions at BEUC.
Tasos Stampelos is Director of EU Public Policy at Mozilla, where he leads the organization’s EU public policy and government relations work. His work focuses on online platforms, privacy, security, consumer choice and competition in digital markets, including the implementation of Europe’s digital regulatory framework.
Samuel Stolton is a Brussels-based journalist at Bloomberg News, where he covers European Union law, competition policy and technology regulation. His reporting focuses on EU antitrust enforcement, digital markets, Big Tech regulation and the policy debates shaping Europe’s technology agenda.
Shula Teare van Hagan is Associate General Counsel at DuckDuckGo, where she works across EU, UK, and US digital regulation and competition law. Her work centres on the Digital Markets Act, the UK’s digital competition framework, and the implementation of remedies in search markets, alongside online safety compliance. Before moving into regulatory and competition practice, she held roles at Uber and Lime, leading micromobility launches across EMEA.
Javier Espinoza is an award-winning journalist and a leading voice in Brussels regulatory coverage. Before joining The Capitol Forum, he spent more than eight years at the Financial Times, serving as Private Equity Correspondent in London and EU Correspondent covering competition and digital policy in Brussels. He was also part of the team that launched the FT’s Due Diligence newsletter. His work has appeared in the Daily Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal.
Damien Geradin is the founding partner of Geradin Partners and a leading authority on EU competition law. He has represented clients in high-stakes European Commission investigations, including complex abuse of dominance matters in the technology, media and telecommunications sectors, and has particular expertise in standard-essential patent licensing. He is also Professor of Competition Law and Economics at Tilburg University and a visiting professor at University College London, having previously held visiting positions at Columbia, Harvard, Michigan, Yale and the College of Europe. Chambers has recognized him as one of the leading antitrust thinkers and practitioners in Europe.
Address: Place Jourdan 1, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Please join us at the Sofitel Brussels Europe, located in the heart of Brussels’ European Quarter on the vibrant Place Jourdan. The venue is within walking distance of the European Parliament, European Commission, and other major EU institutions, making it an ideal setting for discussions on the future of digital regulation and competition policy in Europe.
Surrounded by Leopold Park and just a short walk from Cinquantenaire Park, the hotel offers convenient access to Brussels’ public transportation network and is only a few metro stops from the historic city centre and Grand Place.
The conference will take place in the hotel’s recently renovated meeting facilities, with networking breaks, lunch, and a closing drinks reception included as part of the program.
Questions?
Please contact The Capitol Forum team at events@tcfpress.com.
Presented by The Capitol Forum and Geradin Partners
Brussels | September 22, 2026
Agenda Overview
08:45 – 09:15 — Registration and Networking Coffee
09:15 – 09:30 — Introductory Remarks
09:30 – 10:00 — Opening Keynote: Alberto Bacchiega, Director for Digital Platforms, DG COMP, European Commission
10:00 – 11:15 — Panel 1: Successes, Failures and Unfinished Business
11:15 – 12:30 — Panel 2: Artificial Intelligence and the DMA
12:30 – 13:45 — Networking Lunch
13:45 – 14:15 — Afternoon Keynote
14:15 – 15:30 — Panel 3: Beyond the DMA? Fitting the DMA Within Europe’s Digital Rulebook
15:30 – 15:45 — Coffee Break
15:45 – 17:00 — Fireside Chat: Where Do We See DMA Enforcement Five Years From Now?
17:00 – 18:30 — Closing Drinks Reception
Opening Keynote
The conference will open with a keynote address by Alberto Bacchiega, Director for Digital Platforms at DG COMP, European Commission. The keynote will set the stage for the day by taking stock of the DMA review and enforcement to date, while identifying key open questions and next milestones for Europe’s digital rulebook.
Panel 1: Successes, Failures and Unfinished Business
Three years after the first gatekeeper designations, the Digital Markets Act has entered a more mature phase of enforcement. This panel will assess what has worked, what remains unresolved and where remedies may need to evolve.
Discussion topics include:
Panel 2: Artificial Intelligence and the DMA
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded within core platform services, raising new questions about the scope and application of the DMA. This panel will examine whether existing rules remain fit for purpose as AI-driven products and digital infrastructure continue to evolve.
Discussion topics include:
Panel 3: Beyond the DMA? Fitting the DMA Within Europe’s Digital Rulebook
As DMA enforcement continues to evolve, it increasingly intersects with a broader framework of European and national digital regulation. This panel will explore how regulators and businesses are navigating overlapping legal frameworks and enforcement priorities.
Discussion topics include:
Fireside Chat: Where Do We See DMA Enforcement Five Years From Now?
As the Digital Markets Act continues to mature, policymakers and regulators are increasingly looking beyond its initial implementation toward its long-term evolution. This closing conversation will examine the policy choices, technological developments and enforcement priorities likely to shape the next phase of digital regulation in Europe.
Discussion topics include:
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