Photo, Christopher Jones

Christopher Jones

Principal, Energy regulatory and Antitrust
Baker & McKenzie CVBA/SCRL
Not admitted to practice law in this jurisdiction

Biography

Christopher Jones is a Principal in the European Competition Law Practice Group in the Brussels office. He joined Baker McKenzie in 2018.

Christopher's career has spanned more than 30 years at the European Commission, focusing on energy policy and competition policy.

During the last two decades, Christopher held a wide range of key energy posts including Director for Renewable Energy, Energy research and Energy Efficiency, Deputy Head of Cabinet for the Energy Commissioner and Deputy Director General for Energy.

He has been at the forefront of many major key energy and competition law decisions and innovations. He played a key role in the evolution of EU competition law towards the more economic and market based instrument it is today, and was instrumental in the successful implementation of EU merger control. He was the central EU official in opening up energy markets to competition as well as developing and implementing the core of the EU's energy policy as it is today; driving the '20-20-20' renewables and energy efficiency decarbonisation agendas, and setting the gas strategy and research policies.

Christopher is also an expert on competition policy, having spent 11 years in the field including responsibility for antitrust and mergers in the Cabinet of the Energy Commissioner, and as personal Policy Assistant to two Directors' General.

He is a leading academic in the competition and energy areas, as a part-time Professor at the European University Institute, editing and co-authoring a number of standard text books on Competition Law and Energy Markets, the Internal Energy Market, and EU Renewable Law and Policy, as well as books on merger control and the standard competition law reference work, the EU Competition Law Handbook.

Practice Focus

At Baker McKenzie, Christopher works closely with the Energy, Mining & Infrastructure, Projects and Competition teams in the EMEA region.

He is active in assisting a wide range of clients, notably on all energy regulatory and antitrust issues.

Education

  • College of Europe, Bruges (Diploma of Higher European Studies (Law)) (1984)
  • University of Reading (Law Degree) (1983)

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • Dutch
  • German
  • Co-author, "How Will EU Policies Shape the Clean Hydrogen Funding Landscape?", OGEL Law Journal Special Issue on The Hydrogen Economy, March 2021
  • Co-author and editor, "EU Energy Law, Volume I - The Internal Energy Market", 2020 (fifth edition)
  • Co-author and editor, "EU Energy Law Volume XII: Electricity Market Design in the European Union", 2020 (twelfth edition)
  • Co-author, "The role of gas in a decarbonising EU energy system", Naturgy Foundation, 2019
  • Co-author, "Decarbonising Europe's energy market: Gas, hydrogen and an affordable and competitive European energy market", Naturgy Foundation, 2019
  • Co-author and editor, “EU Energy Law, Volume II: Competition Law and Energy Markets”, 2019 (fifth edition)