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☆ U.S. professor declines EU job offer after backlash from lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

American citizen and Yale professor Fiona Scott Morton decided not to take up a key job in the heart of the European Union after facing significant backlash from politicians in the bloc. Scott Morton had been nominated earlier this month to take the role of chief competition economist, a prominent role in the team of Margrethe Vestager, the EU's competition chief. I have determined that the best course of action is for me to withdraw and not take up the Chief Economist position," she said in a letter to Vestager shared online Wednesday morning. The EU's competition chief faced intense questioning from European lawmakers Tuesday for nominating Scott Morton. The criticism focused on her nationality (the fact that she isn't European) and her previous work consulting for Big Tech.

Persons: Fiona Scott Morton, Scott Morton, Margrethe Vestager, Vestager, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Yale, European Union, Big Tech Locations: Brussels

☆ Analysis: French backlash scuppers appointment of US economist for EU Big Tech regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Vestager said she accepted Scott Morton's decision to quit with regret but economists warned that the debacle will leave the bloc's competition commissioner weakened. Vestager should have been more transparent on possible conflicts of interest, said EU lawmaker Paul Tang from the Netherlands. That didn't help the candidature of Scott Morton," he said. Vestager's defence of her choice at a hearing on Tuesday was disappointing, said EU lawmaker and French lawyer Stephanie Yon-Courtin, who opposed Scott Morton's appointment. The issue with this nomination was neither American nor French, it is a matter of European interest," she said.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager, Fiona Scott Morton, Scott Morton, Emmanuel Macron, Vestager, Scott Morton's, Paul Tang, Stephanie Yon, Alexandre De Streel, Jean Tirole, Jacques Cremer, Foo Yun Chee, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Union, Apple, Microsoft, Commission, EU, U.S . Department of Justice, Big Tech, European Union, Amazon, Namur University, Toulouse School of Economics, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, U.S, France, Yale, Netherlands, American

☆ EU's competition chief Margrethe Vestager under fire for hiring a U.S. economist
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager is answering questions from lawmakers on considering giving a top job in her cabinet to a U.S. citizen. Europe's powerful competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, is under fire for hiring an American citizen for one of her team's top jobs. Vestager, who's been leading investigations into Big Tech for almost 10 years, is due to answer questions from European lawmakers Tuesday after appointing Fiona Scott Morton, a professor at the Yale School of Management, as chief competition economist at the European Commission, the EU's executive arm. Laurence Boone, France's secretary for Europe, said on Twitter that she had spoken with Vestager about this nomination, adding that "Europe has many talented economists." "I invite the European Commission to reconsider its choice," he added.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager, who's, Fiona Scott Morton, Laurence Boone, Jean, Noël Organizations: Big Tech, Yale School of Management, European Commission, Twitter, Commission, CNBC Locations: Europe, Brussels

☆ US economist's Big Tech experience is good for EU, EU's Vestager says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, July 18 (Reuters) - U.S. economist Fiona Scott Morton's experience from her consulting work for Big Tech, will stand her in good stead in her new job as chief economist at the European Commission, EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager told EU lawmakers on Tuesday as she defended her choice. "I think it's a good thing to come with experience, she knows our system inside out," Vestager said, addressing concerns of conflicts of interest due to Scott Morton's consulting work for Big Tech. Reporting by Foo Yun CheeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fiona Scott Morton's, Margrethe Vestager, Vestager, Scott Morton's, Foo Yun Chee Organizations: Big Tech, European Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

BRUSSELS, July 18 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday criticised EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager's decision to hire a U.S. economist over a European to help oversee Big Tech, adding her previous work could lead to conflicts of interest. Macron added he was "attached to reciprocity", and noted that the U.S. and China would not have appointed an overseas national in such a role. Scott Morton will advise the European Commission on its investigations into Big Tech and its enforcement of a series of landmark rules to rein in tech giants. Macron pointed to her previous work for "many companies" as something that could also result in conflicts of interest. She said previous chief economists at the Commission had also done consulting work without posing any issues.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Margrethe Vestager's, Vestager, Fiona Scott Morton, Barack Obama's, Macron, Scott Morton, Jean Tirole, Scott Morton's, Sudip Kar, Bernadette Baum, Sharon Singleton, Jan Harvey Organizations: Big Tech, U.S . Department of Justice, European Union, Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, China

☆ EU Commission sticks to US economist pick for senior antitrust job
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, July 14 (Reuters) - The European Commission stuck to its guns on Friday, saying it was not reconsidering EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager's pick of a U.S. economist to a senior job helping to oversee Big Tech despite criticism from French ministers and EU lawmakers. Fiona Scott Morton, 56, the former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Justice during former President Barack Obama's tenure, will take up her three-year stint on Sept. 1 when the current chief economist, Pierre Regibeau, retires. She will be the first non-EU national, first U.S. national and first woman for the job. They cited the strategic importance of the post, potential conflicts of interest due to Scott Morton's previous work with Big Tech, and her previous public antitrust comments. Head of the centre-right group European People's Party Manfred Weber, president of the liberals' group Renew Europe Stephane Sejourne, head of the socialists group Iratxe Garcia Perez and the heads of the green party Philippe Lamberts and Terry Reintke said they opposed the new hire.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager's, Fiona Scott Morton, Barack Obama's, Pierre Regibeau, Vestager, Scott Morton's, Dana Spinant, European People's Party Manfred Weber, Europe Stephane Sejourne, Iratxe Garcia Perez, Philippe Lamberts, Terry Reintke, Scott Morton, Foo Yun Chee, Jan Harvey Organizations: European Commission, Big Tech, U.S . Department of Justice, EU, European People's Party, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, U.S, Europe

BRUSSELS/PARIS, July 13 (Reuters) - France's foreign minister and government minister have called EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager to reconsider her appointment of a U.S. economist and former antitrust official to a senior job at the European Commission overseeing Big Tech. Vestager on Tuesday announced the hiring of Fiona Scott Morton, the former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Justice during former President Barack Obama's tenure. Scott Morton will take up her post on Sept. 1 when the current chief economist, Pierre Regibeau, retires. French foreign minister Catherine Colonna said she was astonished at the appointment. "I invite the @EU_Commission to reconsider their choice."

Persons: Margrethe Vestager, Fiona Scott Morton, Barack Obama's, Scott Morton, Pierre Regibeau, Catherine Colonna, Jean, Noel Barrot, Foo Yun Chee, Conor Humphries Organizations: European Commission, Big Tech, Vestager, Tuesday, U.S . Department of Justice, Charles River Associates, DG, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, PARIS, France, Europe

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