Competition weekly news summary
8 May 2015


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Conferences and Speeches

  • Europe’s competition authorities: A close-knit team
    Competition Day, Riga, Margrethe Vestager
    7 May 2015
    "As competition agencies, of course, we talk to each other on a regular basis. Our staff is in constant contact as they work on cases; and we have the European Competition Network bringing together the Commission and national competition authorities. [...] Together, we are stronger, more effective and a better deterrent for any company that may be tempted to ignore competition law in the internal market."
    Read full speech >

Antitrust

  • Commission launches e-commerce sector inquiry
    6 May 2015
    The Commission has launched an antitrust competition inquiry into the e-commerce sector in the EU. The inquiry will allow the Commission to identify possible competition concerns affecting European e-commerce markets. It will focus on potential barriers erected by companies to cross-border online trade. It complements actions launched within the framework of the Digital Single Market Strategy.
    Read more >
    Fact sheet >

Mergers

  • Commission approves coffee joint venture between DEMB and Mondelez, subject to conditions
    5 May 2015
    The Commission has approved the proposed creation of a joint venture between two of the world's leading coffee manufacturers - DEMB of The Netherlands and Mondelez of the US. The approval is conditional on the implementation of a commitments package. The Commission had concerns that the transaction, as initially notified, would have led to price increases in roast and ground coffee products in France, Denmark and Latvia, as well as in filter pads in Austria and France. To address these concerns Mondelez will sell its Carte Noire business across the European Economic Area (EEA), while DEMB will sell its Merrild business across the EEA and license its Senseo brand in Austria.
    Read more >

State aid

  • Commission finds Portuguese shipyard operator ENVC received €290 million of incompatible aid; orders recovery from ENVC but not from new operator WestSea
    7 May 2015
    The Commission has concluded that around €290 million of public support granted by Portugal to ENVC, the former operator of shipyards located in Viana do Castelo, was incompatible with EU state aid rules. The Commission also found that the aid needs to be paid back by the ENVC and not the new shipyard operator WestSea, which has purchased part of ENVC's assets. There is no economic continuity between ENVC and WestSea because the assets were purchased at market conditions.
    Read more >
  • Commission approves extension of SFIL/CAFFIL activities to financing of export credit loans
    5 May 2015
    The Commission has concluded that an extension of the scope of French development bank SFIL/CAFFIL's activities to also cover the financing of export credit loans was in line with EU state aid rules. The Commission found in particular that these services are currently not provided to a sufficient extent by private players. SFIL/CAFFIL will remedy this market failure without requiring new state aid and without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market.
    Read more >

Court

  • C-674/13 Deutsche Post state aid case
    6 May 2015
    In January 2012, a Commission state aid investigation found that Deutsche Post had been overcompensated for pension costs of civil servants in non-price-regulated services, where Deutsche Post competed with other players. This gave Deutsche Post an undue advantage over its competitors in breach of EU state aid rules. The Commission ordered Germany to recover this undue advantage from Deutsche Post. Germany recovered the part of the aid that in its opinion corresponded to non-price-regulated services, based on a 2000 decision of the German postal regulator. The Commission disagreed with this analysis and referred the case to the EU Court of Justice in 2013. The EUCJ confirmed the Commission's findings. The Court held in particular that Germany should have carried out an autonomous analysis of the relevant markets and Deutsche Post's position on these markets for the purposes of the recovery of the incompatible aid.
    Read full 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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