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CR Focus 18th March 2008
In the News

EC carries out dawn raids at a number of international airline passenger carriers premises >>>more>>>

EC fines Belgian international removal companies cartel € 32 755 500 >>>more>>>

 
European Notifications and Publications
Mergers Invitation to Comment

European Mergers - Invitation to Comment >>>more>>>

Mergers Cleared

GOOGLE/DOUBLECLICK >>>more>>>

Aviva/Bank Zachodni >>>more>>>

ArcelorMittal/Galvex >>>more>>>

Rank/Alcoa P&C >>>more>>>

ACE/CICA >>>more>>>

Aviva/UBI Vita >>>more>>>

INEOS/BP VAM & EtAc Business >>>more>>>

State Aid

EC authorises German aid to Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co KG >>>more>>>

EC opens formal investigation into an agreement for the provision of airport services at Bratislava airport >>>more>>>

EC approves French state aid to the QUAERO (multilingual indexing of search engines) R&D programme >>>more>>>

EC approves Flemish Region training aid to Volvo Cars in Gent >>>more>>>

EC requests Italy repay 17 R&D loans in aeronautical sector >>>more>>>

EC orders Italy to repay unlawful fiscal aid from nine privatised banks >>>more>>>

EC refers Italy to ECJ for failing to comply with a Commission decision declaring tax incentives in favour of companies taking part in trade fairs abroad incompatible >>>more>>>

Speeches

Viviane Reding speech: "Digital TV, Mobile TV: let's push for open technologies in Europe and worldwide" >>>more>>>

 

UK Notifications & Publications
Consultations

Ofgem: "Revised Section 23 Notice for National Grid Gas's SO incentives from 1 April 2008" >>>more>>>

Ofwat: Compliance Codes Guidance >>>more>>>

Mergers Referred to the Competition Commission

Cine-UK Limited/a lease from Standard Life Property Holdings Limited for the purpose of operating a cinema business at Hollywood Green Leisure Park, Wood Green >>>more>>>

Mergers Cleared

Littlewoods Shop Direct Group Limited/the agency mail order business of Redcats (Brands) Limited >>>more>>>

Seawell Holding (UK) Limited/Noble Drilling (UK) Limited >>>more>>>

Competition Commission

Macquarie/National Grid Wireless - Final Report published >>>more>>>

Miscellaneous

Ofcom issues statement on making regulations in connection with awarding 1452-1492 MHz >>>more>>>

Ofcom issues regulatory statement on the Monitoring compliance with charge controls >>>more>>>

Ofcom issues regulatory statement on the Review of ITV Networking Arrangements 2007 >>>more>>>

Ofgem issues report on Review of the market for exported electricity from microgeneration >>>more>>>

Ofgem publishes approval criteria for redress schemes in energy sector >>>more>>>

Postcomm publishes decision on Royal Mail's application limiting compensation paid on Special Next Day Delivery Service >>>more>>>

OFT amends proposed sequencing of publication of documents related to work on newspaper and magazine sector >>>more>>>

 
In the News

European Commission carries out dawn raids at the premises of a number of international airline passenger carriers. To read the press release, click here.

European Commission fines Belgian international removal companies cartel € 32 755 500. To read the press release, click here and here.

 
European Notifications and Publications
Mergers Invitation to Comment

COMP/M.5008: Vivendi/Activision - communications and media group in TV, music, cinema,, communications, games, developer, publisher, distributor game software. Interested parties should submit their comments by 23 March 2008. To read the notification, click here.

COMP/M.5072: AMSSC/BE group/JV - steel processing and distribution. Interested parties should submit their comments by 21 March 2008. To read the notification, click here.

COMP/M.5081: Autogrill/Aldeasa - food and beverages, travel retail shops. Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should submit their comments by 23 March 2008. To read the notification, click here.

COMP/M.5083: Groupama/OTP Garancia - insurances and banking services. Interested parties should submit their comments by 25 March 2008. To read the notification, click here.

Mergers Cleared

COMP/M.4731: GOOGLE/DOUBLECLICK - search engine, ad serving management and reporting services. To read the press release, click here.

COMP/M.4950: Aviva/Bank Zachodni - universal bank, life and non-life insurance. To read the decision, click here.

COMP/M.4992: ArcelorMittal/Galvex - manufacture and distribution of steel and galvanised steel products. To read the press release, click here.

COMP/M.5017: Rank/Alcoa P&C - packaging, wood products, pulp, paper, beverage closures, foil, wax paper. To read the decision, click here.

COMP/M.5031: ACE/CICA - insurances. To read the press release, click here.

COMP/M.5057: Aviva/UBI Vita - insurances. To read the press release, click here.

COMP/M.5052: INEOS/BP VAM & EtAc Business - manufacture and sale of speciality and intermediary chemicals. To read the decision, click here.

State Aid

The European Commission has authorised the German aid to Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co KG for the experimental development of a new jet engine. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation following a complaint on potential state aid into an agreement for the provision of airport services at Bratislava airport, allegedly favouring Ryanair. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has approved the French state aid in the sum of €99 million to the QUAERO (multilingual indexing of search engines) research and development programme. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has approved the Flemish Region training aid to Volvo Cars in Gent in the sum of €3.5 million. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has requested that Italy repay the 17 R&D loans in the aeronautical sector totalling in excess of €450 million. To read the press release, click here and here.

The European Commission has ordered Italy to repay the unlawful fiscal aid in the sum of €123 million from nine privatised banks to whom it was granted. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission is to refer Italy to the ECJ over its failing to comply with the Commission's decision declaring tax incentives in favour of companies taking part in trade fairs abroad incompatible and ordering their recovery from the recipients. To read the press release, click here.

Speeches

Viviane Reding speech: "Digital TV, Mobile TV: let's push for open technologies in Europe and worldwide". To read the speech, click here.

 
UK Notifications & Publications
Consultations

Ofgem has opened a consultation into the "Revised Section 23 Notice for National Grid Gas's SO incentives from 1 April 2008". Interested parties should submit their comments by 10 April 2008. To read the consultation, click here.

Ofwat has opened a consultation into Compliance Codes Guidance. Interested parties should submit their comments by 6 June 2008. To read the consultation, click here and here and here.

Mergers Referred to the Competition Commission

Cine-UK Limited/a lease from Standard Life Property Holdings Limited for the purpose of operating a cinema business at Hollywood Green Leisure Park, Wood Green - cinemas. To read the press release, click here and here.

Mergers Cleared

Littlewoods Shop Direct Group Limited/the agency mail order business of Redcats (Brands) Limited - catalogue home shopping. To read the decision, click here.

Seawell Holding (UK) Limited/Noble Drilling (UK) Limited - contract platform drilling. To read the decision, click here.

Competition Commission

The Competition Commission has published its Final Report in the Macquarie/National Grid Wireless merger. To read the Report, click here and here.

Miscellaneous

Ofcom has issued a statement on the making of regulations in connection with the award of 1452-1492 MHz. To read the statement, click here and here.

Ofcom has published a regulatory statement in relation to the Monitoring compliance with charge controls. To read the statement, click here.

Ofcom has published a regulatory statement in relation to the Review of ITV Networking Arrangements 2007. To read the statement, click here.

Ofgem has published a report on the Review of the market for exported electricity from microgeneration. To read the report, click here.

Ofgem has published the approval criteria for redress schemes in the energy sector. To read the document, click here and click here.

Postcomm has published its decision in Royal Mail application to limit the amount of compensation paid in its Special Next Day Delivery Service. To read the decision, click here.

The OFT has amended, following representations from stakeholders, its proposed sequencing of the publication of documents related to work on the newspaper and magazine sector. To read the press release, click here.