Antitrust
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Car price report shows price differentials for new cars in EU narrowing in 2010
26 July 2011
The Commission’s latest car price report shows that car prices fell by 2.5% in real terms in 2010 in the EU as a whole.
List prices for new cars also converged slightly.
These long-term price trends support the Commission's decision last year that specific competition rules for the sale of new cars are no longer justified.
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State aid
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Commission opens in-depth investigation into state aid to UK postal operator Royal Mail
29 July 2011
The Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to ascertain whether UK plans to restructure the postal incumbent Royal Mail, by relieving it of its 'pension deficit' and strengthening its balance sheet, are in line with EU state aid rules.
At this stage, the Commission has doubts that Royal Mail's restructuring plan foresees adequate measures to mitigate any distortions of competition brought about by the state intervention and to ensure a sufficient own contribution to the cost of restructuring.
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Mergers
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Commission clears acquisition of the S-PVC business of Tessenderlo by Ineos
26 July 2011
The Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of the Suspension Polyvinyl Chloride ("S-PVC") business of the Belgium-based Tessenderlo Group by the Swiss-based company Ineos.
S-PVC is a resin used in pipes, window profiles and other industrial applications.
The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly modify the structure of the affected markets.
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Commission approves acquisition of pharmaceutical supplier Capsugel by US investment fund KKR
26 July 2011
The Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of Capsugel by fund manager KKR. Capsugel manufactures dosage delivery products, such as hard gelatine capsules used for pharmaceutical products.
The Commission's investigation showed that no horizontal overlaps arise from the transaction, since neither KKR nor any company that it controls are active in the same field as Capsugel.
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Commission clears acquisition of Medion by Lenovo
26 July 2011
The Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of the German electronic equipment supplier Medion by the Chinese computer technology group Lenovo.
The Commission concluded that the merged entity will continue to face several strong and effective competitors in the market.
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Commission approves acquisition of power conversion company Converteam by General Electric
25 July 2011
The Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of sole control of French power conversion company Converteam Group SAS by US conglomerate General Electric, via GE Energy.
The Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise competition concerns in the EEA because of the parties' moderate market shares and the presence of a number of credible competitors in the markets concerned.
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Commission clears acquisition of Tognum and Bergen by Daimler and Rolls-Royce
25 July 2011
The Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of joint control over Tognum AG of Germany and Bergen of Norway by Daimler AG of Germany and Rolls-Royce Group plc of the UK.
Bergen is currently controlled by Rolls-Royce.
The Commission concluded that the merged entity will continue to face several strong and effective competitors in the markets.
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Court
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C-403/10 Mediaset / Commission
28 July 2011
The Court of Justice ruled on an appeal against a CFI judgment of June 2010 that had confirmed a Commission decision of January 2007 finding Italian subsidies for the purchase of ditial terrestrial decoders incompatible with EU state aid rules.
The Court upheld the CFI ruling and thereby confirmed the Commission's decision in its entirety.
In particular, the ECJ confirmed that the subsidies constitute state aid even if granted to consumers, because they conferred an indirect advantage to digital terrestrial broadcasters.
Moreover, the ECJ confirmed that such aid is incompatible with EU state aid rules, because it is not technologically neutral, but favours terrestrial broadcasters over others, such as satellite broadcasters.
Read full ECJ judgment >
Read full CFI judgment of 2010 >
Read more about initial Commission decision >
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Joined cases C-471/09, C-472/09, C-473/09 and joined cases C-474/09, C-475/09, C-476/09 Diputación Foral de Vizcaya and others / Commission
28 July 2011
The Court of Justice ruled on appeals against two CFI judgments of September 2009 that had confirmed Commission decisions of July 2001 finding certain fiscal measures granted by the Spanish Basque provinces of Avala, Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa incompatible with EU state aid rules.
The ECJ upheld the CFI ruling and thereby entirely confirmed the Commission's decisions of July 2001.
Read full ECJ judgment for joined case C-471/09 - C-473/09>
Read full CFI judgment on the above >
Read full ECJ judgment for joined cases C-474/09 - C-476/09 >
Read full CFI judgment on the above >
Read more about initial Commission decision >
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