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CR Focus 7th October 2008
In the News

EC fines members of wax producing cartel €676 million >>>more>>>

 
European Notifications and Publications
Mergers Referred

Acea/Ondeo Italia/Acque Blu JV >>>more>>>

Mergers Cleared

American Express/Fortis/Alpha Card >>>more>>>

Ashland/Hercules >>>more>>>

State Aid

EC approves German rescue aid package for Hypo Real Estate Holding AG >>>more>>>

EC approves UK state aid rescue package for Bradford & Bingley >>>more>>>

EC opens in depth investigation into state support measures for German bank WestLB >>>more>>>

EC publishes notice on current State aid recovery interest rates and reference/discount rates for Member States applicable from 1 October 2008 >>>more>>>

Speeches

Charlie McCreevy speech: "The new Postal Directive" >>>more>>>

Neelie Kroes speech: "Paraffin wax cartel and bank rescues" >>>more>>>

Viviane Reding speech: "How Ireland can best benefit from its digital dividend" >>>more>>>

Viviane Reding speech: "Net Neutrality and Open Networks - Towards a European Approach" >>>more>>>

Miscellaneous


EC publishes report uncovering Europe-wide protection against conditional-access piracy still indispensable in pay TV services >>>more>>>

EC publishes "Provisions on international relations in EU competition policy" >>>more>>>

COMP/38.629 - Chloroprene Rubber: Opinion of the Advisory Committee, Final Report of the Hearing Officer and Summary of the Commission Decision >>>more>>>

 
UK Notifications & Publications
Consultations

Ofgem: Energy Supply Probe - Initial Findings Report >>>more>>>

Competition Commission

Project 'Kangaroo' - Video on demand (VOD) - INotice of Revised Statutory Deadline to 8 February 2009 >>>more>>>

Miscellaneous

John Fingleton and Ali Nikpay paper on "Stimulating or Chilling Competition" >>>more>>>

BBC to continue playing major part PSB development in UK >>>more>>>

Ofcom publishes Deputy Chairman Philip Graf's speech on PSB >>>more>>>

Ofgem publishes Renewable Energy Strategy response >>>more>>>

Ofwat publishes overview of companies' draft business plans - setting price limits for 2010-15 >>>more>>>

Postcomm publishes results of 2008 Business Customer Survey >>>more>>>

 
In the News

European Commission fines 9 members of a wax producing cartel €676 million. To read the press release, click here and here.

 
European Notifications and Publications
Mergers Referred

COMP/M.5254: Acea/Ondeo Italia/Acque Blu JV - public utilities, water treatment, supply, waste management, gas and electricity. The European Commission has referred to the Italian Competition Commission. To read the press release, click here.

Mergers Cleared

COMP/M.5241: American Express/Fortis/Alpha Card - worldwide payment card, banking and insurance, payment card. To read the press release, click here.

COMP/M.5327: Ashland/Hercules - composite polymers, chemicals for pulp and paper industry, utility water treatment. To read the press release, click here.

State Aid

The European Commission has approved the German rescue aid package for Hypo Real Estate Holding AG. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has approved the UK state aid rescue package for Bradford & Bingley. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has opened an in depth investigation into the state support measures for the German bank WestLB. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has published its notice on current State aid recovery interest rates and reference/discount rates for 27 Member States applicable as from 1 October 2008. To read the notice, click here.

Speeches

Charlie McCreevy speech: "The new Postal Directive". To read the speech, click here.

Neelie Kroes speech: "Paraffin wax cartel and bank rescues". To read the speech, click here.

Viviane Reding speech: "How Ireland can best benefit from its digital dividend". To read the speech, click here.

Viviane Reding speech: "Net Neutrality and Open Networks - Towards a European Approach". To read the speech, click here.

Miscellaneous

A report by the European Commission has uncovered that Europe-wide protection against conditional-access piracy still indispensable in pay TV services. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has published "Provisions on international relations in EU competition policy", which sets out all provisions on competition policy in agreements between the EU and third countries. To read the document, click here.

The Opinion of the Advisory Committee, Final Report of the Hearing Officer and Summary of the Commission Decision dated 5 December 2007 in COMP/38.629 - Chloroprene Rubber. To read the documents, click here, here, here and here.

 
UK Notifications & Publications
Consultations

Ofgem has opened a consultation into Energy Supply Probe - Initial Findings Report. Interested parties should submit their comments by 1 December 2008. To read the consultation, click here.

Competition Commission

The Competition Commission has published its Notice of Revised Statutory Deadline to 8 February 2009 in the Project 'Kangaroo' - Video on demand (VOD). To read the notice, click here.

Miscellaneous

The OFT has published a paper written by John Fingleton and Ali Nikpay on "Stimulating or Chilling Competition" for the Fordham Annual Conference on International Antitrust Law and Policy. To read the document, click here.

The BBC will continue to play a major part in how public service broadcasting develops in the UK. To read the press release, click here.

Ofcom has published Deputy Chairman Philip Graf's speech on PSB. To read the speech, click here.

Ofgem has published its Renewable Energy Strategy response. To read the document, click here.

Ofwat has published an overview of companies' draft business plans - setting price limits for 2010-15. To read the document, click here, here and here.

Postcomm has published the results of its 2008 Business Customer Survey. To read the document, click here.