Competition weekly news summary
12 December 2014


Conferences and Speeches

  • The Independence of National Competition Authorities
    Competition Conference – Best Practice in Investigations, Vienna, Alexander Italianer
    12 December 2014
    "The unfettered capacity to conduct investigations, unbound by political or business or other ties, is essential for the legitimacy, credibility and efficacy of national competition authorities."
    Read full speech >
  • The Object of Effects
    CRA Annual Brussels Conference – Economic Developments in Competition Policy, Brussels, Alexander Italianer
    10 December 2014
    "Every time we pursue an investigation we have to decide: is this an infringement of competition law by its very nature, or should we examine possible anti-competitive effects?"
    Read full speech >

Antitrust

  • Commission fines five envelope producers over € 19.4 million in cartel settlement
    11 December 2014
    The Commission has fined Bong of Sweden, GPV and Hamelin (both of France), Mayer-Kuvert of Germany and Tompla of Spain a total of €19 485 000 for coordinating prices and allocating customers of certain types of envelopes, in breach of EU antitrust rules. Given their cooperation in the investigation, Tompla, Hamelin and Mayer-Kuvert/GPV (the GPV assets/entities involved in the cartel were acquired by Mayer-Kuvert after the cartel had ended) benefited from fine reductions under the Commission's 2006 Leniency Notice. Since all undertakings agreed to settle the case with the Commission, their fines were reduced by a further 10% each.
    Commissioner Vestager's statement >
    Press release >

Court

  • 5 appeals against candle wax cartel decision
    12 December 2014
    The EU General Court ruled on appeals by Hansen & Rosenthal, Tudapetrol, ChemPharm, ENI and Repsol against a Commission decision of October 2008 fining several companies for their participation in a cartel in the markets for paraffin waxes. The GC rejected all arguments brought by the appellants related to the substantive issues of the case. The GC also held that the Commission was not entitled to find that ENI's recidivism constituted an aggravating circumstance and therefore reduced ENI's fine.
    Read full Hansen & Rosenthal judgment >
    Read full Tudapetrol judgment >
    Read full ChemPharm judgment >
    Read full ENI judgment >
    Read full Repsol judgment >
    Read more about Commission's 2008 decision >
  • T-487/11 Banco Privado Portugues state aid case
    12 December 2014
    The EU General ruled on an appeal by Banco Privado Portugues (BPP) against a Commission decision of July 2010 ordering Portugal to recover incompatible state aid from BPP. The GC dismissed the appeal and upheld the Commission's findings. In particular, the GC reaffirmed Member States' obligation to provide the Commission with a restructuring or resolution plan when a bank receives state aid.
    Court's press release >
    Full judgment >
    More about Commission's 2010 decision >
  • Case T-90/11 Ordre national des pharmaciens (ONP), France
    11 December 2014
    The EU General Court ruled on an appeal by the French chamber of pharmacists (Ordre National des Pharmaciens - ONP) against a Commission decision of December 2010 fining the ONP for restricting competition on the clinical biology analysis market in France. The GC dismissed the appeal and upheld the Commission's findings. The GC slightly reduced ONP's fine by 5%, taking account of a mitigating circumstance.
    Court's press release >
    Full judgment >
    More about Commission's 2010 decision >
  • T-251/11 Austrian 2008 scheme on financing support for renewable energy
    11 December 2014
    The EU General Court ruled on Austria' appeal against a Commission decision of March 2011 finding that certain exemptions for energy-intensive users from contributions to the financing of green electricity were incompatible with EU state aid rules. The GC dismissed the appeal and upheld the Commission's findings.
    Court's press release >
    Full judgment >
    More about Commission's 2011 decision >
  • 9 appeals against reinforcing bars cartel
    9 December
    The EU General Court ruled on appeals by SP, Leali, IRO, Feralpi, Riva Fire, Alfa, Ferriere Nord, Lucchini and Valsabbia against a Commission decision of September 2009 fining several companies for their participation in a cartel in the markets for reinforcing bars for concrete. The GC entirely dismissed the appeals by Leali, IRO, Feralpi, Alfa, Lucchini and Valsabbia and upheld the Commission's findings with regard to these companies. The GC slightly reduced the fines of Ferriere Nord and Riva Fire for not having participated in one element of the cartel over a certain period of time. The GC annulled the fine for SP insofar as it was joint and several with Lucchini (for which the fine was confirmed).
    Full SP judgment >
    Full Leali judgment >
    Full IRO judgment >
    Feralpi judgment >
    Full Riva Fire judgment >
    Full Alfa judgment >
    Full Ferriere Nord judgment >
    Full Lucchini judgment >
    Full Valsabbia judgment >
    More about Commission's 2009 decision >
  • T-140/13 Spanish tax lease state aid case
    9 December 2014
    The EU General Court ruled on an appeal by Netherlands Maritime Technology Association against a Commission decision of November 2012 finding that the new Spanish system of early depreciation of certain assets acquired through a financial leasing involves no state aid. The GC dismissed the appeal and upheld the Commission's findings.
    Read full judgment >
    Read more about Commission's 2012 decision >

Subscriptions:

Editorial and legal information

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.

© European Union, 2014. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Competition website

DG Competition on Twitter