Go to the Content Saturday, 26 May 2012

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21.09.2006 / 00:00 CET

French gambling restrictions face action
The European Commission is to launch legal action on 18 October against France for restricting competition in the sports betting sector. The move will follow the arrests of two heads of German internet gambling group Bwin last week (15 September) for competing with French monopoly companies. Bwin is planning legal action against France for the contravention of human rights.

Prodi hits road deal
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi plans to hold talks with his Spanish counterpart José Luis Zapatero on the €11 billion bid by Spanish toll-road operator Albertis for the Italian company Autostrade when he goes to Madrid in the second half of October for a debate with African leaders on immigration. The Italian government opposes the takeover. A ruling on the bid from the European Commission is imminent.

Russian gas to Spain
Spanish energy group Endesa and Russian gas giant Gazprom will be exploring common interests in the gas and electricity markets, according to a joint statement issued on Monday (18 September). The Spanish company is looking into importing gas by ship from Russia to Spain. German group E.ON, which launched a €29bn bid for Endesa in February, also has close links with Gaprom.

French deputies set to vote on Gaz de France
The French parliament has set a date of 3 October to vote on the further privatisation of Gaz de France, a necessary precondition for a planned merger with utilities giant Suez. Thierry Breton, French finance minister, said that the government would no longer need to resort to an executive decree to force the law through parliament. Both Gaz de France and Suez were due yesterday (20 September) to submit a list of concessions to EU regulators. A Commission ruling on the merger is expected between 25 October and 17 November.

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Business in Brief

Growth downgraded

The European Commission on Tuesday (11 September) downgraded its forecast for eurozone economic growth this year, after turbulence on global credit markets. Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquín Almunia said that growth would be 2.5%, rather than the 2.6% predicted in May.

Rating agencies

Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy met Eddy Wymeersch, the chairman of the Paris-based Committee of European Securities Regulators, on Tuesday to discuss the activities of credit-rating agencies. McCreevy, who is considering whether supervisory measures are necessary, requested an urgent report on transparency and conflicts of interest.

Ryanair appeal

Irish budget airline Ryanair announced on Monday (10 September) that it had lodged an appeal at the European Court of First Instance against the Commission's decision in June to block its planned merger with rival Aer Lingus. Ryanair has a 30% share in Aer Lingus. The Irish government still holds a 25% stake in the company.

Deutsche Post aid

The Commission yesterday (12 September) opened an investigation into state aid granted to German postal operator Deutsche Post. Rivals TNT, UPS and Fedex complained that the company had received unfair compensation for fulfilling public service obligations. In 2002, the Commission found that Deutsche Post had received illegal state aid and ordered the German government to recover €572 million.

Chinese toys

Meglena Kuneva, the consumer protection commissioner, told MEPs yesterday that the EU might ban a range of products from China should the Chinese authorities fail to submit a satisfactory safety report to the Commission next month. She said that reports submitted so far had been unsatisfactory and the ban could include toys and some spare parts.

Business in Brief

EIT on track

EU ministers for competitiveness agreed on Monday (25 June) a ‘general approach' to the creation of a European Institute of Technology, aimed at bringing together academics and business through specialist ‘knowledge and innovation Communities'. If approved by the European Parliament later this year, the EIT could start work in 2008, but funds for running the EIT have not yet been raised, apart from a €308.7 million contribution from the EU budget.

Ryanair knock-back

The European Commission blocked yesterday (27 June) a proposed takeover of airline Aer Lingus by Irish rival Ryanair. According to the Commission. Ryanair's Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said he would appeal against the decision at the European Court of Justice.

German telecoms

The German telecoms regulator is not doing enough to ensure a level playing-field during the transition to high bandwidth networks from traditional copper fixed-line networks, the European Commission said on Monday.

Taxes up slightly

Taxes and social security contributions paid in the EU rose slightly in 2005, according to the latest figures from EU statistics office Eurostat on Tuesday (26 June). The overall tax ratio rose to 39.6% of gross domestic product, up from 39.2% in 2004, marking the first increase since 1999. The highest tax ratios were Sweden, Denmark and Belgium, with Romania and Lithuania at the bottom of the table.

Business in Brief

MEPs back laxer product-placement rules

Members of the European Parliament's culture committee voted on Tuesday (8 May) to approve amendments to the audiovisual media services directive which would relax the rules on product placement in television programmes and increase the quantity and frequency of adverts. The changes are expected to be agreed in plenary session and endorsed by EU broadcast ministers in May.

Holiday merger gets go ahead

Travel firm Thomas Cook won approval from the European Commission on 4 May to buy UK holiday company MyTravel. In a statement, the Commission said that the deal would not “significantly impede effective competition”.

Equitable lifeline

A temporary committee of the European Parliament investigating the case of Equitable Life investors, voted on Tuesday for a report saying they should be compensated because of the way the UK authorities implemented insurance legislation was “flawed”.

Minister seeks ABN Amro takeover ‘clarity'

Dutch Finance Minister Wouter Bos called on Tuesday for “clarity as completely and rapidly as possible” over bids by an international consortium of banks to buy Dutch finance house ABN Amro, which is a rival to an agreed bid by Barclays.

Dawn raids on marine hose firms

As part of a cartel investigation, Commission antitrust officials raided the offices of French, Italian and British makers of marine hose which is used to transfer oil between tankers and storage facilities. The investigation was co-ordinated with the US antifraud officials from the Department of Justice.

Synthetic rubber cartel probed

The Commission has asked firms making synthetic rubber for information about an alleged cartel in the market for chloroprene rubber, a substance used in cables, belts, as an adhesive and as latex for diving equipment.

Business in Brief

India stalls trade action on spirits duties

India on Wednesday (11 April) temporarily blocked a request from the EU for the World Trade Organization to convene a dispute settlement panel to rule on the legality of India's high import duties for wine and spirits. The EU is expected to make a second attempt within a month, which India will not be able to stop.

Chemicals cargo cartel under spotlight

The Commission confirmed on Wednesday that it had sent formal charges to shipping companies alleged to have takenpart in a cartel for the bulk transport of chemicals. The legal move follows raids on some companies in February 2003. Norwegian shipper Odfjell Seachem and Dutch company Jo Tankers confirmed they had received statements of objections. Tokyo Marine was also raided in 2003 and Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group said then that it had been offered immunity. The companies have two months to respond.

Roaming rules ‘within reach', says Reding

On the eve of a vote at the European Parliament's industry, research and energy committee today (12 April), Viviane Reding (right), the European commissioner for the information society, said that a political agreement on cutting charges for mobile phone calls abroad was “within reach”. The industry committee is the last and most important committee to express its opinion. A vote by all MEPs is scheduled for May.

Poles in driving seat for Carrefour deal

The Commission has agreed to a request from the Polish competition authority to be given responsibility for assessing the takeover of Ahold Polska, a Polish supermarket chain, by the French company Carrefour.

Business in Brief

iTunes hits wrong note with Commission

The European Commission said on Tuesday (3 April) that it had warned Apple that its iTunes music download site breaks EU antitrust rules because limiting consumers to buying music from the iTune store in their own member state restricts choice. Apple and the record companies that it has struck deals with have several months to respond to the Commission's complaints.

Spain faces E.ON action

The Commission said on Tuesday that it would continue with legal action against Spain over conditions attached to a takeover bid by German energy company E.ON for Spanish company Endesa. The previous day E.ON had agreed with Italy's Enel and Spanish construction company Acciona to buy only some of Endesa's assets.

German drugs firm faces patents probe

The Commission has begun antitrust action against German pharmaceuticals company Boehringer over alleged misuse of patents.

Ryanair takes offence

Ryanair on Friday (30 March) accused the Commission of bias and condemned the leaking of a statement of objections to its proposed takeover of Aer Lingus.

Railway deal gets go-ahead

The Commission has cleared a proposed merger between Alstom UK and Balfour Beatty to create a joint venture in railway signalling.

Slovakia and Poland warned over telecoms

In a report on the EU telecoms markets (29 March), the Commission said Slovakia and Poland lacked truly independent regulators, criticised delays in imposing remedies on companies and application of competition law. But it said charges for domestic mobile services had fallen by 13.9%.

Ireland told to change tax regime

The Commission has requested Ireland to change its remittance base taxation for non-domiciled taxpayers so that it does not discriminate against income sourced from the UK.

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