Brussels, 05/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - The new Director General for Competition, Philip Lowe (United Kingdom), officially took up his post this week. He replaces the German, Alexander Schaub, who has held this position for seven years he becomes the new Director General for Internal Markets). The task of the new director general will not be easy, given the recent controversies surrounding competition policy carried out by the Commission and judged by some to be too powerful. Mr Lowe indicated to Reuters that he would focus on adjusting the instruments used in mergers in an effort to make standards used in the USA and some European countries closer together. Mr Lowe also wants more flexibility in sending cases to national authorities and wants to strengthen the role of economists during risk assessment operations in competition, by creating the role of a Chief Economist.