Tag: anti-trust

Barriers to competition are driving up the costs for retail banking services, the Commission finds in a new report. It has warned that the industry may face further anti-trust investigations.

The Commission is examining MasterCard’s move to cut interchange fees for payments within the eurozone in response to an EU anti-trust probe.

Microsoft lawyers have argued, on the first day of a one-week hearing with the European Court of First Instance, that the Commission's 2004 antitrust decision was fundamentally flawed.

While Microsoft faces a key hearing in the Competition case on the present version of its ubiquitous Windows operating system, Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes sent a letter to the company expressing concerns on the upcoming Windows version.

A group of Microsoft's industry rivals has filed a new antitrust complaint with the European Commission against the company, smashing its hope of ending EU competition cases anytime soon.

Microsoft's announcement that it will disclose part of the source code of its Windows operating system to competitors has not met with the positive reaction that the software maker may have hoped for.

The software giant is taking the Commission to the European Court of First Instance to prevent the source code of its server communication protocols from entering the public domain.

One week after Microsoft complied with an EU deadline to provide details on how it will comply with the Brussels executive's antitrust ruling, the software company's proposal has passed a first hurdle. 

The Commission has warned Microsoft to confirm in detail by the end of May 2005 steps to be taken to comply fully with its March 2004 antitrust decision. Failure to comply may lead to the Commission imposing a daily fine of up to 5 percent of Microsoft’s turnover.

A row with the Commission over how to name Microsoft's European version of its Windows operating system has ended with the company accepting the regulator's suggestion. But the quarrel continues on remaining antitrust issues.

The European Court of First Instance (CFI) has upheld penalties imposed on the software giant Microsoft by a Commission decision of March 2004.

The Commission has put on hold its antitrust ruling against Microsoft while EU judges examine the company's request to suspend the sanctions until a final judgement is given.

US Assistant Attorney General R. Hewitt Pate and EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti have given an overview of transatlantic approaches to antitrust issues at a joint EU-US conference in Brussels on 7 June.

The US Department of Justice has expressed its "divergence" with the Commission on the Microsoft antitrust case but concluded on the overall positive relationship with the EU on competition policy.

By midday on 13 November, Microsoft was expected to complete its presentation to regulators as part of a closed-door, three-day hearing in the Commission's anti-competition case against the US software giant.

The European Commission has given Microsoft a final opportunity to comment on its objections before it concludes its antitrust probe against the software giant.

A computer industry lobby group files a complaint against Microsoft, urging EU anti-trust regulators to break up the US software giant; Commission reaction cautious.

On 26 November, the Competitiveness Council adopted the most comprehensive reform of the EU's antitrust rules undertaken since 1962.

US software company Microsoft insisted on 11 June that its .Net Passport service is in line with EU privacy rules. The company admits that it is talking to EU authorities to clear up misconceptions but underlined that no formal investigation has been initiated.

The fifth "European Competition Day" held on 26 February in Madrid, focused on competition policy and the consumer. In 2002, the EU's agenda will include the discussion of a multi-lateral framework on competition policy, a review of the merger control regulation and the decentralisation of the implementation of competition policy.

US software giant Microsoft has requested the Commission to follow the deal of the US Justice Department and not impose further sanctions.

Commissioner Monti, in response to an article in the Wall Street Journal, described talks about a fine for Microsoft as premature. The Wall Street Journal had written that EU competition authorities might force Microsoft to change its Windows system and pay a big fine.

Only a few US firms signed 'safe harbour' agreement on data privacy before 1 July deadline

European Commission decides to end proceedings against 8 Belgian and Dutch banks which were accused of fixing conversion rates for euro-zone currencies