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Conferences and Speeches
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EU State Aid Modernisation: High Level Forum of Member States
Speech by Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for Competition, Brussels
18 December 2014
"So today I want to set a challenge to all of us, Member States as well as the Commission, to work together in partnership to make every euro of taxpayers' money count.
We need to promote good aid, while stamping out bad aid and ensure transparency of where the money go."
Read full speech >
Antitrust
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Commission welcomes political agreement by Parliament and Council on capping inter-bank fees for card-based payments
17 December 2014
The Commission welcomes the political agreement reached today by the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission proposal for a regulation on interchange fees for card-based payment transactions.
The Regulation intends to introduce maximum fees for consumer debit and credit cards, makes it possible for retailers to accept only consumer cards, and establishes transparency rules for all transactions.
Read more >
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Commission invites comments on proposed changes to antitrust procedures to align with Directive on damages actions
17 December 2014
The Commission has opened a public consultation on proposed changes to its antitrust procedures in order to align them with the Directive on damages actions by victims of antitrust violations.
In particular, the provisions concerning the use of information in the Commission's investigative file need to be adapted to those regarding the use of information obtained from competition authorities in damages actions under the new Directive.
To ensure an effective protection of these documents in antitrust investigations, the Commission proposes to modify relevant provisions of its Procedural Regulation 773/2004
and four related texts (the notice on access to the Commission's file, the notice on immunity from fines, the notice on the conduct of settlement procedures in cartel cases and the notice on cooperation with national courts).
Comments can be submitted until 25 March 2015.
The Commission intends to adopt the new texts, reflecting comments received in this consultation, before the end of 2015.
Go to consultation >
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Commission announces the launch of market tests in investigations in online hotel booking sector by French, Swedish and Italian competition authorities
15 December 2014
The Commission has announced the launch of market tests in antitrust investigations by the French, Swedish and Italian competition authorities in the online hotel booking sector.
The three national competition authorities have concerns that so-called “parity clauses” in contracts between the online travel agent Booking.com and hotels may have anti-competitive effects, in breach of EU and national antitrust rules.
Booking.com has proposed commitments to remedy these concerns, which - if the market tests confirm their adequacy - the national competition authorities can make legally binding on the company.
The Commission is coordinating the national investigations but has opened no own investigation.
Read more >
Mergers
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Commission approves IMS Health's acquisition of parts of Cegedim, subject to conditions
19 December 2014
The Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of part of Cegedim's customer relationship management and strategic data business by IMS Health.
The decision is conditional upon IMS' commitment to divest parts of its primary market research business and to grant third party access to the structure underlying its sales tracking data, the so-called “brick structure”.
The Commission had concerns that the proposed transaction could lead to less choice and higher prices for customers of standardised primary market research services.
Furthermore, the Commission had concerns that IMS Health could refuse to give access to its "brick structure" to its competitors.
This would have prevented IMS Health's competitors from competing effectively on the market.
The commitments address these concerns.
Read more >
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Commission approves acquisition of joint control over Czech national carrier Ceské aerolinie by Travel Service and Ceský Aeroholding
19 December 2014
The Commission has approved the proposed acquisition of joint control over Ceské aerolinie ("CSA"), the Czech national air carrier, by Travel Service and Ceský Aeroholding ("CAH"), all of the Czech Republic.
The Commission found, in particular, that passengers would continue to have a number of alternative suppliers for their flights to and from Prague airport.
Read more >
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Commission opens in-depth investigation into coffee joint venture between DEMB and Mondelez
15 December 2014
The Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether a proposed joint venture between two of world's leading coffee manufacturers Douwe Egberts Master Blenders 1753 B.V. ("DEMB") of the Netherlands and Mondelez International Inc. ("Mondelez") of the US was in line with the EU Merger Regulation.
Both companies own popular brands, such as L'Or, Douwe Egberts, Senseo, Merrild for DEMB, and Carte Noir, Jacobs, Gevalia, Tassimo for Mondelez.
The Commission has concerns that the proposed transaction may reduce competition for various coffee formats in Austria, France, Denmark and Latvia and for single-serve systems in multiple Member States.
Read more >
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Commission clears acquisition of aviation fuel supplier Statoil Fuel & Retail Aviation by rival BP, subject to conditions
15 December 2014
The Commission has concluded that the acquisition of aviation fuel supplier Statoil Fuel & Retail Aviation (SFRA) of Norway by its rival BP, a UK based integrated gas and oil company was in line with the EU merger regulation.
The decision is conditional upon the divestment of SFRA's activities at the airports of Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg and Copenhagen.
The Commission had concerns that the few remaining players, would have been unable to sufficiently constrain the merged entity to avoid price increases.
The commitments offered by BP address these concerns.
Read more >
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Commission approves acquisition of Lafarge by Holcim, subject to conditions
15 December 2014
The Commission has found the proposed acquisition of Lafarge of France by Holcim of Switzerland to be in line with the EU Merger Regulation.
Both companies are active worldwide in the manufacture and supply of cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and other construction materials.
The decision is conditional upon the divestment of Lafarge businesses in Germany Romania and the UK and of Holcim operations in France, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain and the Czech Republic.
The Commission had concerns that the transaction, as originally notified, would have had a detrimental effect on competition in a significant number of markets in the EEA.
The commitments offered by the two companies address these concerns.
Read more >
State aid
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Commission turns state aid modernisation into action and calls for better cooperation with Member States to boost growth
18 December 2014
The Commission has for the first time approved state aid evaluation plans for two different aid schemes in the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.
This will enable both countries to provide aid of more than €6 billion in total to spur investment and development.
The aid schemes can now run until 2020 without requiring further Commission approval.
This was made possible by the new General Block Exemption Regulation, which as part of the Commission's State Aid Modernisation Initiative, greatly extended the scope of aid exempted from prior notification to the Commission.
Read more >
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Statement by Commissioner Vestager on Luxembourg's tax rulings and patent boxes
18 December 2014
"I am very pleased that the Luxembourg government has today announced they will fully comply with the Commission's requests for information on its tax rulings practice and patent box scheme.
They will now provide the Commission with all the requested information outstanding."
Read full statement >
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Commission extends information enquiry on tax rulings practice to all Member States
17 December 204
The Commission has enlarged the scope of an enquiry into teh tax ruling practice under EU state aid rules to cover all Member States.
The Commission will ask Member States to provide information about their tax ruling practice, in particular to confirm whether they provide tax rulings and, if the do, to provide a list of all companies that have received a tax ruling from 2010 to 2013.
The Commission already requested similar information on tax rulings from several Member States in June 2013.
Read more >
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Commission approves Catalunya Banc's revised restructuring plan following its sale to BBVA
17 December 2014
The Commission has concluded that the sale of the Spanish bank Catalunya Banc to BBVA and the proposed amendments to its original restructuring plan were in line with EU state aid rules.
The sale and the amendments ensure the bank's long-term viability as part of BBVA.
At the same time, competition distortions in the Single Market are mitigated and no additional state aid to Catalunya Banc or the buyer is granted.
Read more >
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Commission approves aid to Banka Celje based on the restructuring plan of Banka Celje and its merger with Abanka
16 December 2014
The Commission has concluded that the restructuring plan of the Slovene Banka Celje d.d. and its merger with Abanka Vipa d.d. was in line with EU state aid rules.
The Commission found in particular that the restructuring plan ensures the viability of the merged entity in the long term without requiring further state support.
At the same time the plan also mitigates the distortions of competition brought about by the aid granted to the bank.
Read more >
Court
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C 434/13 P marine hoses cartel
18 December 2014
The EU Court of Justice ruled on the Commission's appeal against a General Court ruling of May 2013.
The earlier GC ruling had partly annulled a Commission decision of January 2009 fining several companies for their participation in a cartel on the markets for marine hoses.
The GC had ruled, in particular, that the Commission was wrong to hold a subsidiary, transfered to Parker during the cartel, liable for the infringement based on the principle of economic succession.
The EU CJ set aside the GC judgment and sent the case back to the GC for a ruling on the substance.
Read full EUCJ judgment >
Read full GC judgment >
Read more about Commission's 2009 decision >
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T-72/09 car glass cartel
17 December 2014
The EU General Court ruled on an appeal by Pilkongton against a Commission decision of November 2008 fining Pilkington and others for their participation in a cartel in the market for car glass.
The GC dismissed the appeal and upheld the Commission's findings with regard to Pilkington.
The Court also confirmed the Commission's method of calculating the fine imposed on Pilkington and rejected Pilkington's claims that it was disproportionately high.
Read Court's press release >
Read full judgment >
Read more about Commission's 2008 decision >
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Case T-201/11, Si-Mobil v Commission
17 December 2014
The EU General Court ruled on an appeal against the Commission's decision to reject Si-Mobil's complaint concerning an alleged infringement of EU antitrust rules by Mobitel (part of Telekom Slovenije, the Slovenian incumbent) on the wholesale and retail mobile telephony markets in Slovenia.
The GC dismissed the appeal and upheld the Commission's findings.
The GC confirmed, in particular, that the Commission was entitled to reject the complaint because the Slovene competition authority was already investigating the alleged infringement.
Read Court's press release >
Read full judgment >
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