Tag Archives: COMPETY

Antitrust: Commission accepts legally binding commitments from Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, Hachette, Holtzbrinck and Apple for sale of e-books

Brussels, 14-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — What were the Commission’s concerns? In December 2011, the Commission opened proceedings against Apple and five international publishers: Simon & Schuster (CBS Corp.), Harper Collins (News Corp.) both headquartered in the US, Hachette Livre (Lagardère Publishing) … Read the full press release

Antitrust: Commission welcomes General Court judgments on appeals in calcium carbide cartel

Brussels, 14-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission welcomes today’s judgments by the EU General Court (GC) upholding the fines imposed in 2009 on Novácke chemické závody (NCHZ) (T-352/09), Ecka Granulate (T-400/09) and Almamet (T-410/09) for participating in a cartel in the sector of calcium carbide and … Read the full press release

Statement on commitments from Apple and four publishing groups for sale of e-books

Statement at Midday Briefing / Berlaymont press room / Brussels Brussels 13-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has just accepted the commitments offered by Apple and four top international publishing groups in relation to suspected infringements on the market for ebooks … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission welcomes General Court judgment in Electrabel case

Brussels, 13-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission welcomes today’s judgment by the General Court (GC) which fully dismissed Electrabel’s appeal of a Commission decision of June 2009 fining Electrabel €20 million for acquiring control over Compagnie Nationale du Rhône without prior … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Austrian mobile phone operator Orange by H3G, subject to conditions

Brussels, 12-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Orange’s mobile telephony business in Austria by Hutchison 3G (H3G). The approval is conditional upon the implementation of a commitments package that will … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission opens in-depth investigation into creation of “NewCo”, combining Munksjö and part of Ahlstrom.

Brussels, 10-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation under the EU Merger Regulation into the planned combination into a new merged entity of Munksjö AB, a Swedish-based manufacturer of high value-added paper products, and the European label … Read the full press release

State Aid: Commission proposes to reform state aid procedures and exempt certain categories of aid from prior notification

Brussels, 6-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — In the context of its State Aid Modernisation (SAM) initiative, the European Commission has adopted proposals to amend two Council Regulations governing EU state aid control. The reform of the Procedural Regulation of 1999 is aimed at focussing state … Read the full press release

Antitrust: Commission fines producers of TV and computer monitor tubes € 1.47 billion for two decade-long cartels

Brussels, 6-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has fined seven international groups of companies a total of € 1 470 515 000 for participating in either one or both of two distinct cartels in the sector of cathode ray tubes (“CRT”). For almost ten years, between 1996 … Read the full press release

Antitrust: Commission welcomes Court of Justice judgment in the AstraZeneca case

Brussels, 6-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission welcomes today’s judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union (Case C-457/10 P) dismissing an appeal brought by AstraZeneca against the judgment by the General Court of 2010 which had upheld – … Read the full press release

Antitrust: Commission opens proceedings against Bulgarian Energy Holding

Brussels, 4-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to investigate whether Bulgarian Energy Holding may be abusing its dominant market position in the wholesale electricity market in Bulgaria. The Commission has concerns that Bulgarian Energy Holding might be … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of German automotive supplier ixetic by rival Magna of Canada

Brussels, 3-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of ixetic Verwaltungs GmbH of Germany by Magna International Inc of Canada, both suppliers to the automotive industry. The Commission’s investigation confirmed that the … Read the full press release

Antitrust: Commission welcomes General Court judgment on tariff arrangements within Groupement des cartes bancaires

Brussels, 3-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission welcomes yesterday’s judgment by the EU General Court in case T-491/07-Groupement des cartes bancaires “CB”. The judgment fully upholds the Commission decision finding that Groupement restricted competition with certain fees and tariffs which hindered … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Belgian ground handling service provider Aviapartner by LBO France

Brussels, 3-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Aviapartner of Belgium by WFS of France, ultimately controlled by funds managed by LBO France. Aviapartner and WFS both provide ground handling and … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of stakes in Dutch wholesale clothing company HVEG by ABN AMRO and Rabobank

Brussels, 29-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of stakes in Dutch wholesale clothing company HVEG by ABN AMRO and Rabobank The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition by the Dutch banks ABN AMRO and … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Swedish paper producer Billerud by Swedish investment company Kinnevik, subject to conditions

Brussels, 29-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Swedish paper producer Billerud by Swedish investment company Kinnevik, subject to conditions The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Swedish pulp- and paper-based packaging products manufacturer … Read the full press release

Speech – Competition and personal data protection, Commissioner Joaquín Almunia

Joaquín Almunia — Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Competition Policy Privacy Platform event: Competition and Privacy in Markets of Data Brussels, 28-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank Ms In ‘t Veld for her kind invitation to join … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Irish electrical company Cooper Industries by rival Eaton

Brussels, 27-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Cooper Industries of Ireland by Eaton Corporation of the US. The transaction combines the electrical equipment and component businesses of Cooper and Eaton. … Read the full press release

Competition: European Competition Network refines its Model Leniency Programme

Brussels, 23-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Competition Network (ECN), composed of the European Commission and the competition authorities of all EU Member States, has strengthened the Model Leniency Programme (“MLP”), around which ECN competition authorities align their own leniency procedures. The MLP … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves Glencore’s acquisition of Xstrata, subject to conditions

Brussels, 23-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Xstrata, the world’s fifth largest metals and mining group, by Glencore, the world’s leading metals and thermal coal trader. The clearance is conditional on … Read the full press release

State aid: Commission endorses €1.56 billion compensation for Poste Italiane for public services delivered over 2009-2011

Brussels, 22-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, two compensations received by Poste Italiane for delivering two public services in the period 2009-2011, namely a compensation of €1.1 billion for the universal postal service and a … Read the full press release

State aid: the Commission approves a new Spanish scheme for the early depreciation of assets acquired via finance leases

Brussels, 22-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has ruled that the new Spanish system for the early depreciation of the cost of certain assets acquired through finance leasing does not constitute state aid under EU rules, inter alia because it is not selective. Joaquín … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of German kitchen manufacturer Alno by Whirlpool

Brussels, 22-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the German kitchen manufacturer Alno AG by the US household appliances company Whirlpool Corporation. The Commission’s investigation showed that there were enough alternative suppliers … Read the full press release

State aid: Commission clears UK umbrella support scheme for broadband investment ‘BDUK’

Brussels, 22-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has found that a UK umbrella support scheme for investments in next generation access (NGA) broadband networks, ‘BDUK’, is in line with EU state aid rules. In particular, the scheme is aimed at supporting local … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves joint acquisition of HDI Poland by Talanx and Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance

Brussels, 22-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of joint control over two Polish insurance companies HDI Asekuracja S.A and HDI-Gerling Życie S.A by Talanx International AG and Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company, respectively a German … Read the full press release

State aid: Commission approves amendments to the restructuring plan of ING

Brussels, 21-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — Following an agreement between the European Commission and The Netherlands, the Commission has approved an amended restructuring plan of the Dutch-based financial institution ING under EU state aid rules. ING agreed to a fixed repayment schedule and revamped … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of French trading company CFAO by Toyota Tsusho

Brussels, 16-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the French trading company CFAO by Toyota Tsusho Corporation of Japan. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would not raise competition concerns because it … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of part of French insurance company Gan Eurocourtage by rival Helvetia

Brussels, 13-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition by the French subsidiary of the Helvetia insurance group (Switzerland) of marine and transport insurance contracts (excluding aviation and space) and related brokerage businesses, assets … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Teva’s over the counter business by Procter & Gamble

Brussels, 13-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of over-the-counter (OTC) business of the generic pharmaceutical company Teva of Israel by the US company Procter & Gamble (P&G). The Commission concluded that the … Read the full press release

Preparation of Economic and Finance Ministers Council, Brussels, 13 November 2012

Brussels, 12-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The EU’s Council of Economic and Finance Ministers will start on Tuesday, 13 November at 11.00. The European Commission will be represented by Olli Rehn, Vice President and Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, Joaquín … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves Outokumpu’s acquisition of Inoxum, subject to conditions

Brussels, 8-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — Following an in-depth review, the European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Inoxum, the stainless steel division of ThyssenKrupp of Germany, by the Finnish stainless steel company Outokumpu. The approval is … Read the full press release

State aid: Commission extends in-depth investigation into Italian support measures in favour of former Tirrenia Group

Brussels, 8-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has extended the scope of an in-depth investigation opened in October 2011 into public support measures in favour of companies of the former Tirrenia Group (see IP/11/1157), namely Tirrenia di Navigazione, Caremar, Laziomar, Saremar, Siremar … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves joint-venture between ARM, Giesecke & Devrient and Gemalto, subject to conditions

8-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed creation of a joint-venture between ARM, a UK semiconductor intellectual property (“IP”) supplier, Giesecke & Devrient (“G&D”) of Germany and Gemalto of the Netherlands, both … Read the full press release

State aid: Commission approves Cypriot bank guarantee scheme

Brussels, 6-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has authorised, under EU State aid rules, a Cypriot state guarantee scheme for credit institutions until 31 December 2012. The purpose of the scheme is to facilitate the access of eligible credit institutions to … Read the full press release

Merger review: Past evolution and future prospects

Cernobbio (Italy), 5-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — Ladies and Gentlemen, It is always a pleasure to be back in Cernobbio, in this occasion to participate in this Conference on Competition Policy. And I wish to thank in particular Jorge Padilla for inviting me … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Specialist Computer Holding’s IT distribution business by Tech Data Europe

Brussels, 25-10-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the IT products distribution business of Specialist Computer Holdings of the United Kingdom by Tech Data Europe, a wholesaler of IT, consumer electronics … Read the full press release

State aid: Commission investigates Italian measures reducing taxes and social contributions in areas affected by natural disasters

Brussels, 22-10-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to examine whether Italian measures to reduce taxes and contributions due by companies in areas affected by natural disasters, mainly earthquakes and floods, are in line with EU … Read the full press release

State Aid: Commission clears creation of UK Green Investment Bank

19-10-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has concluded that public funding of 3 billion GBP (around €3.7 billion) granted by the United Kingdom (UK) for the creation of a bank investing in environmentally friendly projects, is in line with EU … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of German press manufacturer Schuler by rival Andritz

19-10-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the German press manufacturer Schuler by the Austrian plants and equipment supplier Andritz. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise competition … Read the full press release

Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of US-based distributor Brightpoint by US rival Ingram Micro

Brussels, 16-10-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of US-based distributor of mobility/telecommunications products Brightpoint by Ingram Micro of the US, a distributor of electronic products. The Commission concluded that the concentration … Read the full press release