Competition weekly news summary
5 June 2015


Competition

  • 2014 Competition Report: EU competition policy's contribution to the Commission's growth and jobs agenda
    4 June 2015
    The Commission has published the 2014 Annual Competition Report, which illustrates the extent to which EU competition policy initiatives and enforcement activities have contributed to the European Commission's growth and jobs agenda. The report in particular provides concrete examples of how competition policy was used in 2014 to address EU challenges in priority areas such as the Digital Single Market, the Energy Union, financial services, industrial policy and the fight against tax avoidance and evasion.
    Foreword to the report by Commissioner Vestager >
    Report >
    Staff working paper >
    Other language versions and earlier reports >
  • Commission publishes Best Practices on how to disclose confidential information in antitrust and merger investigations
    2 June 2015
    The Commission has published guidance on how to disclose business secrets or other confidential information gathered in the course of antitrust or merger investigations. Addressees of a statement of objections have a right to access the evidence in the Commission's file, except condfidential information, in order to prepare their defence. A data room is an exceptional tool used for making available such confidential information in a way that safeguards the legitimate interest for confidentiality of the information provider while respecting the rights of defence of the company under investigation. The best practice document gives guidance on when and how to use data rooms in this context, with the aim of increasing the transparency and predictability of antitrust and merger investigations within the existing legal framework.
    Full text of Best Practices >

Court

  • C-15/14 P MOL state aid case
    4 June 2015
    The EU Court of Justice ruled on the Commission's appeal against a General Court judgment of November 2013. The General Court ruling had annulled a Commission decision of 2012 that had found a sequence of measures taken by Hungary to have conferred a selective financial advantage to the Hungarian oil and gas company MOL in breach of EU state aid rules. The Court of Justice upheld the earlier ruling. The Court held in particular that the links between the measures were not close enough to consider them as a single measure which selectively favoured MOL.
    Read Court's press release >
    Read full Court of Justice judgment >
    Read full General Court judgment >
    Read more about Commission's 2012 decision >

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Published by the Competition Directorate General of the European Commission. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Commission. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on its behalf is responsible for the use which might be made of the above information.

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