Competition weekly news summary
14 November 2014


Antitrust

  • Statement by Commissioner Vestager on Google antitrust investigations at EP ECON committee meeting
    11 November 2014
    "To decide how to take our investigations forward, I need to know what those most directly affected by the practices in question have to say. I need to have a representative sample of views of those concerned. Also, we are talking about fast moving markets – I have to be sure that we have all the facts up to date to get it right."
    Read full statement >
  • Commission welcomes Council adoption of Directive on antitrust damages actions
    10 November 2014
    The EU Council of Ministers has formally adopted a Commission proposal for a Directive on antitrust damages actions. The Directive will help citizens and companies claim damages if they are victims of infringements of EU antitrust rules, such as cartels or abuses of dominant market positions. Among other things, it will give victims easier access to evidence they need to prove the damage suffered and more time to make their claims. The Directive is designed to achieve a more effective enforcement of the EU antitrust rules overall: it will fine-tune the interplay between private damages claims and public enforcement, and preserve the attractiveness of tools used by European and national competition authorities, in particular leniency and settlement programmes. In April, the European Parliament had already approved a compromise text of the Commission's initial proposal. The Directive is expected to be formally signed during the Parliament's plenary session at the end of November. Member States will have two years to implement it.
    Read more >

Competition

  • EPSO competition open for Competition lawyers and economists
    23 October 2014
    Would you like to work with us in DG Competition? The European Commission has launched a competition for Competition Lawyers, Corporate Finance experts and Economists. Deadline for applications is 12.00 (midday, Brussels time) on 25 November 2014.
    More information >

Court

  • Case C-580/12 (flat glass cartel)
    12 November 2014
    The EU Court of Justice ruled on an appeal by Guardian against a General Court judgment of September 2012 that had upheld a Commission decision of November 2007. The Commission's 2007 decision had fined Guardian and others for their participation in a cartel in the market for flat glass. The EUCJ partly annulled the 2012 GC ruling insofar as it had held that the Commission was right to exclude captive sales from the calculation of the fines, and consequently reduced Guardian's fine by 30%.
    Court's press release >
    Read full EUCJ judgment >
    Read full GC judgment >
    Read more about Commission's 2007 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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