CR Focus 25th
July 2007
To visit the "Cartel Watch" section, click
here. |
| In
the News |
 |
|
Microsoft Corporation v Commission- judgment scheduled
17 September >>>more>>>
|
| |
| European
Notifications and Publications |
 |
| Mergers - Invitation to Comment |
|
European Mergers - Requests for Comments >>>more>>>
|
| Mergers Cleared - Subject to Conditions |
|
SFR/TELE 2 France >>>more>>>
|
| Mergers Cleared |
|
Wärtsilä Technology Oy/Hyundai Heavy Industries
Co/JV >>>more>>>
|
|
Sachsenfonds Holding/Eastmerchant/Nikko Principal Investments
>>>more>>>
|
|
AXA/Monte dei Paschi/JV >>>more>>>
|
|
Mapfre/Cattolica/JV >>>more>>>
|
|
Gerresheimer/Chase/JV >>>more>>>
|
| State Aid |
|
EC adopts new Regulation to increase ceiling of so-called
'de minimis' aid to fisheries sector >>>more>>>
|
|
Aid No: C 17/07 (ex NN 19/07) - regulated electricity tariffs
in France >>>more>>>
|
|
EC approves German aid for grant to start THESEUS, a research
project developing & testing new search technologies for
next generation Internet >>>more>>>
|
|
EC approves German aid to AMD for conversion and extension
of existing micro-processor wafer plants in Dresden >>>more>>>
|
|
EC approve German aid for German public banks WestLB and NORD/LB
>>>more>>>
|
|
EC initiates infringement proceedings against Germany to change
incompatible system of taxation of non-resident family foundations
>>>more>>>
|
|
EC opens formal investigation into aid for annual compensation
payments, investment and training grants to Irish Bus and
Dublin Bus >>>more>>>
|
|
EC refers Poland to ECJ over failure to align its electricity
taxation system on Community framework >>>more>>>
|
|
EC requests Greece recover the illegal aid in relation to
tax exemptions >>>more>>>
|
| Miscellaneous |
|
EC urges member states to open single market for Mobile TV
Services >>>more>>>
|
|
EC closes competition proceedings against Vodafone UK, O2
UK, Vodafone Germany and T-Mobile Germany over roaming tariffs
applied to other
European mobile network operators up to 2003 >>>more>>>
|
|
EC closes case against Hungary with ECJ over abolishing a
provision of its Media Act >>>more>>>
|
|
EC initiates infringement proceedings against Austria, Germany,
Spain and the United Kingdom over free movement of services
>>>more>>>
|
|
EC initiates second stage infringement proceedings against
United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden for failing to change the
legislation on VAT exemption for postal services >>>more>>>
|
|
EC sends formal request to Italy requesting compliance with
EU rules on electronic communications >>>more>>>
|
|
EC welcomes Italian authorities draft rules clarifying regulatory
framework for transfer of motorway concessions >>>more>>>
|
| |
|
UK Notifications
& Publications
|
 |
| Consultations |
|
Ofcom: Additional Requests from BT for exemptions and variations
to its Undertakings under the Enterprise Act 2002 >>>more>>>
|
|
Ofcom: Participation TV: protecting viewers and consumers,
and keeping advertising separate from editorial >>>more>>>
|
|
Ofcom: draft determinations to resolve disputes between Hutchison
3G and each of O2, Orange and T-Mobile concerning donor conveyance
charges >>>more>>>
|
|
Ofgem: Gas Distribution Price Control Review Cost Reporting
>>>more>>>
|
| Competition Commisission |
|
Woolworths Group plc / Bertram Group Ltd: merger - Notice
and Summary of Provisional Findings >>>more>>>
|
|
Estimated costs to consumers of mergers and market outcomes
against which the CC took action between April 2006 and March
2007 >>>more>>>
|
|
Tesco/Co-op store acquisition in Slough merger - notice of
extension to 28 November 2007 >>>more>>>
|
| Mergers - Invitation to Comment |
|
UK Mergers - Requests for Comments >>>more>>>
|
| Mergers Cleared |
|
Centenary Music Holdings Limited/Sanctuary Group plc >>>more>>>
|
| Mergers Cleared - Subject to Undertakings |
|
Co-operative Group (CWS) Limited/United Co-operatives Limited
>>>more>>>
|
|
Guardian Digital Communications Limited (a company controlled
by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund II and Macquarie
Communications Infrastructure Group)/Airwave Solutions Limited
(formerly Airwave O2 Limited) >>>more>>>
|
| Miscellaneous |
|
Ofcom publishes update on disputes between T-Mobile/BT, O2/BT,
Hutchison 3G/BT/BT and Hutchison 3G/Orange/Vodafone over call
termination rates >>>more>>>
|
|
Ofcom publishes report and response into Inquiry into television
broadcasters' use of premium rate telephone services by Richard
Ayre >>>more>>>
|
|
Ofgem publishes 2006-07 Annual Report >>>more>>>
|
|
Ofwat announces intention to modify conditions of appointment
of Thames Water Utilities Limited as water undertaker >>>more>>>
|
|
Postcomm proposes to reject Royal Mail's zonal pricing application
>>>more>>>
|
|
OFT publishes Annual Report >>>more>>>
|
| |
| In
the News |
 |
|
Microsoft Corporation v Commission of the European Communities
- judgment scheduled for 17 September. To read the press release,
click
here.
|
| |
| European
Notifications and Publications |
 |
| Mergers
- Invitation to Comment |
|
COMP/M.4677: Thornwood/Federal-Mogul - holding company for
Mr. Icahn's investments in a series of companies with interests
in EEA mainly in food industry, publishing, manufacturing
and sale of home products supply of automotive parts, components.
Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should
submit their comments by 28 July 2007. To read the notification,
click
here.
|
|
COMP/M.4709: Apax Partners/Telenor Satellite Services - investment
fund controlling France Telecom, satellite telecommunications
services. Interested parties should submit their comments
by 31 July 2007. To read the notification, click
here.
|
|
COMP/M.4742: Oxbow/SSM - sourcing, shipping, mining, production,
marketing and distribution of a range of solid fuel and other
carbon-related products, including coal, calcined coke and
petroleum coke. Interested parties should submit their comments
by 28 July 2007. To read the notification, click
here.
|
|
COMP/M.4748: T-Mobile/Orange Netherlands - mobile telephony
services. Interested parties should submit their comments
by 31 July 2007. To read the notification, click
here.
|
|
COMP/M.4751: STM/Intel/JV - semiconductors, microprocessors,
chipsets, flash memory business. Interested parties should
submit their comments by 30 July 2007. To read the notification,
click
here.
|
| Mergers Cleared - Subject to Conditions |
|
COMP/M.4504: SFR/TELE 2 France - media, telecommunications,
mobile telephony. To read the press release, click
here.
|
| Mergers Cleared |
|
COMP/M.4596: Wärtsilä Technology Oy/Hyundai Heavy
Industries Co/JV - production and sale of ship propulsion
and power plant solutions, shipbuilding, engineering, electrical
systems, construction equipment. To read the decision, click
here.
|
|
COMP/M.4637: Sachsenfonds Holding/Eastmerchant/Nikko Principal
Investments - investments, financials, closed end funds. To
read the decision, click
here.
|
|
COMP/M.4646: AXA/Monte dei Paschi/JV - life and non-life insurance,
banking and related financial services. To read the decision,
click
here.
|
|
COMP/M.4661: Mapfre/Cattolica/JV - insurance services.
To read the decision, click
here.
|
|
COMP/M.4708: Gerresheimer/Chase/JV - supply of glassware for
pharmaceutical, industrial and medical research. To read the
decision, click
here.
|
| State Aid |
|
The European Commission has adopted a new Regulation increasing
the ceiling of the so-called 'de minimis' aid to the fisheries
sector. To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
Aid No: C 17/07 (ex NN 19/07) - French aid in relation to
the regulated electricity tariffs in France. Interested parties
should submit their comments by 18 August 2007. To read the
notification, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has approved German aid in the sum
of €120 million for a grant to start THESEUS, a research
project for developing and testing new search technologies
for the next generation Internet. To read the press release,
click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has approved German state aid in the
sum of €262 million to AMD for the conversion and extension
of its existing micro-processor wafer plants in Dresden. To
read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has approved German state aid of €9
billion capital contributions for the German public banks
WestLB and NORD/LB. To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings
against Germany to change its incompatible system of taxation
of non-resident family foundations. To read the press release,
click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has opened a formal investigation
into state aid in the form of annual compensation payments,
investment and training grants to Irish Bus and Dublin Bus.
To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has referred Poland to the ECJ over
its failure to align its electricity taxation system on the
Community framework. To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has requested that Greece recover
the illegal aid given in relation to tax exemptions. To read
the press release, click
here.
|
| Miscellaneous |
|
The European Commission has urged all member states to open
the single market for Mobile TV Services. To read the press
release, click
here. and click
here. and click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has closed the competition proceedings
against Vodafone UK, O2 UK, Vodafone Germany and T-Mobile
Germany over roaming tariffs applied to other European mobile
network operators up to 2003. To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has closed its case against Hungary
with the ECJ over Hungary abolishing a provision of its Media
Act preventing cable operators providing cable TV services
to more than one third of the Hungarian population. To read
the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings
against Austria, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom over
free movement of services. To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has initiated second stage infringement
proceedings against the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden
for failing to change the legislation on VAT exemption for
postal services which are not compatible with the VAT Directive.
To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has sent a formal request to Italy
requesting its compliance with EU rules on electronic communications.
To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The European Commission has welcomed the Italian authorities
draft rules to clarify the regulatory framework for the transfer
of motorway concessions in Italy. To read the press release,
click
here.
|
| |
|
UK Notifications
& Publications
|
 |
| Consultations |
|
Ofcom has opened a consultation into Additional Requests from
BT for exemptions and variations to its Undertakings under
the Enterprise Act 2002. Interested parties should submit
their comments by 24 August 2007. To read the consultation,
click
here. and to read the summary, click
here.
|
|
Ofcom has opened a consultation into Participation TV: protecting
viewers and consumers, and keeping advertising separate from
editorial. Interested parties should submit their comments
by 17 October 2007. To read the consultation, click
here. and click
here.
|
|
Ofcom has opened a consultation into the draft determinations
to resolve disputes between Hutchison 3G and each of O2, Orange
and T-Mobile concerning donor conveyance charges. Interested
parties should submit their comments by 3 August 2007. To
read the consultation, click
here. and click
here.
|
|
Ofgem has opened a consultation into Gas Distribution Price
Control Review Cost Reporting. Interested parties should submit
their comments by 21 September 2007. To read the consultation,
click
here. and click
here.
|
| Competition Commission |
|
The Competition Commission has published its Notice and Summary
of Provisional Findings in the Woolworths Group plc / Bertram
Group Ltd: merger. To read the Notice, click
here. and to read the Summary, click
here. and to read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The Competition Commission has published the estimated costs
to consumers of mergers and market outcomes against which
the CC took action between April 2006 and March 2007. To read
the document, click
here.
|
|
The Competition has published a notice of extension in the
Tesco/Co-op store acquisition in Slough to 28 November 2007
together with a revised timetable. To read the notice, click
here. and to read the timetable, click
here.
|
| Mergers
Cleared - Invitation to Comment |
|
Tiscali UK Holdings Limited/the Broadband and Voice division
of Pipex Communications plc - internet access and fixed line
telephony. Interested parties should submit their comments
by 3 August 2007. To read the notification, click
here.
|
First Potteries Limited/Chester City Transport Limited - scheduled
bus services. Interested parties should submit their comments
by 2 August 2007. To read the notification, click
here. |
Landmark Information Group Limited/Quest Associates - property
valuation network services. Interested parties should submit
their comments by 31 July 2007. To read the notification, click
here. |
| Mergers Cleared |
|
Centenary Music Holdings Limited/Sanctuary Group plc -
music recording and music publishing. To read the decision,
click
here.
|
| Mergers Cleared - Subject to Undertakings |
|
Co-operative
Group (CWS) Limited/United Co-operatives Limited - travel
agency services, retail pharmacy services, funeral services
and grocery retail services. To read the decision, click
here. and click
here.
|
|
Guardian Digital Communications Limited (a company controlleby
Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund II and Macquarie Communications
Infrastructure Group)/Airwave Solutions Limited (formerly
Airwave O2 Limited) - telecommunications. To read the decision,
click
here.
|
| Miscellaneous |
|
Ofcom has published an update note in relation to the disputes
between T-Mobile/BT, O2/BT, Hutchison 3G/BT/BT and Hutchison
3G/Orange/Vodafone relating to call termination rates. To
read the update, click
here.
|
|
Ofcom has published the report and its response into the Inquiry
into television broadcasters' use of premium rate telephone
services by Richard Ayre. To read the report, click
here. and to read the press release, click
here.
|
|
Ofgem has published its 2006-07 Annual Report. To read the
report, click
here.
|
|
Ofwat has announced its intention to modify the conditions
of appointment of Thames Water Utilities Limited as a water
undertaker under Section 13 of the Water Industry Act 1991.
To read the document, click
here. and to read the press release, click
here.
|
|
Postcomm has proposed to reject Royal Mail's zonal pricing
application. To read the press release, click
here.
|
|
The OFT has published its Annual Report. To read the document,
click
here.
|
| |