Conferences/Speeches
- 2nd Seminar for Journalists
20-21 April 2016
European Commission, Brussels
A group of 16 journalists from different Member States visited DG Competition on 20 and 21 April to attend the Second Seminar on Competition policy. Journalists met with Commissioner Margrethe Vestager and Director General Johannes Laitenberger and had the opportunity to discuss with DG COMP Senior Managers topical competition issues, such as fiscal state aid, merger control in telecoms, state aid to banks and competition in the energy sector. Participating journalists came from Ireland (RTÉ News and Current Affairs Television), Hungary (Napi.hu, Info Rádió, Népszabadság, Magyar Nemzet), Poland (InnPoland.pl), Portugal (Lusa, Expresso, Observador, Publico, Negocios), Spain (ABC) and Italy (Il Fatto Quotidiano, Il Giornale).
- Public Hearing: "Empowering the national competition authorities to be more effective enforcers of the EU competition rules"
Parliament, Brussels
18 April 2016
The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) of the European Parliament and DG Competition of the European Commission co-organised a Public Hearing on the Commission's proposal on improving the enforcement tools of national competition authorities. The hearing took place on Tuesday 19 April 2016 from 9:00-12:30 in the Parliament's premises in Brussels. In November 2015, the Commission had launched a public consultation on the proposal. The replies to the consultation will soon be published on the competition website.
See the Agenda >
Press release on the consultion >
Website with the results to be published >
- Speech by Commissioner Vestager 'Competition: the mother of invention'
European Competition and Consumer Day, Amsterdam
18 April 2016
"Companies innovate because they have to. Because they’d fall behind their competitors if they stopped being inventive. So one of the best ways to support innovation is by promoting competition. [..] Because we may be in the middle of a digital revolution. But its effect on our lives will depend on how we use the new possibilities that we have. And for that, we need companies that are free to produce the innovations that will transform our lives for the better."
Read full speech >
Antitrust
- Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by Paramount Pictures in pay-TV investigation
22 April 2016
The European Commission is inviting comments from interested parties on commitments offered by Paramount Pictures to address competition concerns relating to contractual clauses preventing the cross-border provision of pay-TV services.
Read more >
- Commission sends Statement of Objections to Google on Android operating system and applications
20 April 2016
The European Commission has informed Google of its preliminary view that the company has, in breach of EU antitrust rules, abused its dominant position by imposing restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators.
Read more >
Read the statement by Commissioner Vestager>
Read the factsheet>
Mergers
- Commission approves acquisition of Equens and its subsidiary PaySquare by Worldline, subject to conditions
20 April 2016
The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Equens and its subsidiary PaySquare by Worldline, subject to conditions. Both companies are active in the provision of payment and related services.
Read more >
Court
- Cases T-50/06 RENV II Ireland vs. Commission, T-69/06 RENV II Aughinish Alumina vs. Commission, T-56/06 RENV II France vs. Commission and joined Cases T-60/06 RENV II Italy vs. Commission - T-62/06 RENV II Eurallumina vs. Commission
22 April 2016
The Commission welcomes today's judgments by the General Court dismissing several appeals against a Commission decision of 2005 finding that exemptions from excise duty on mineral oils used for alumina production granted by France, Ireland and Italy gave the beneficiaries an undue advantage over their competitors, in breach of EU state aid rules. In particular, the Court confirmed that the Commission is competent to assess the exemptions' compatibility with EU state aid rules, despite the fact that they had been authorised by the EU Council of Ministers under a Council Directive on excise duty in force at the time. The Court also found that the Commission correctly applied EU State aid rules and was justified in ordering recovery of the incompatible aid.
Read the Court's press release >
Case T-60/06 RENV II Italy vs. Commission >
Case T-56/06 RENV II France vs. Commission (FR) >
Case T-50/06 RENV II Ireland vs. Commission >
The tweet of the week
- 20 April 2016

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