About: Competition policy
German law aims to tackle the market power of digital giants
Germany is modernising its competition law to stand up to digital corporations. In the future, the Cartel Office will be able to act faster and tougher when companies dominate the market. Europe can learn from this. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Poland slaps €6.45 billion fine on Gazprom over Nord Stream 2 pipeline
Poland's anti-monopoly watchdog on Wednesday (7 October) said it was demanding Russian gas giant Gazprom pay a €6.45 billion fine over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline linking Russia to Germany.
EU to launch review of state aid rules in early 2021
The European Commission will launch a ‘comprehensive review’ of EU competition rules in early 2021, Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday (2 October).
EU considers allowing more state aid to boost green projects
European Union governments may be allowed to grant more state aid to projects that help the bloc achieve its climate goals, Europe’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said on Tuesday (22 September), calling such an incentive a “green bonus”.
Vestager: Gatekeeper platforms shouldn’t control Europe’s online marketplaces
Europe's online marketplaces should not be controlled by a handful of dominant gatekeeper platforms, the EU's digital chief Margarethe Vestager has said, referring to her bid to reign in the market dominance of tech giants through the EU's forthcoming new competition tool.
EU warns of competition concerns over LSE’s $27 billion bid for Refinitiv
European Union antitrust regulators on Monday (22 June) warned about the possible anti-competitive effects of the London Stock Exchange's $27 billion bid for data and analytics company Refinitiv as they launched a four-month investigation into the deal.
Google vs EU: a decade-long saga goes to court
Google and the EU have a big day in court Wednesday (12 February) as the search engine giant enters a new phase of a legal saga that began a decade ago.
Bulgaria mulls re-opening Gazprom antitrust probe
Because of Bulgaria's discontent, Gazprom risks re-opening the antitrust case the European Commission had led against the Russian gas export monopoly over suspected abuse of its dominant position in the Eastern European gas market, EURACTIV.bg has learned.
Is Bulgaria’s Belene nuclear plant in line with EU competition law?
A Bulgarian lawyer has sent an eight-page letter to the European Commission pointing to various alleged violations of EU competition rules relating to the oft-delayed Belene nuclear power plant, EURACTIV Bulgaria reports.
Time to intervene on behalf of innovation in Europe’s smart car market
After taking action to prevent anti-competitive practices by chipmakers, the European Commission should do the same in the smart car sector, writes Brian Scarpelli.
EU ready to act alone on digital tax if no global deal in 2020
European Union commissioners-designate said the bloc should agree on a digital tax if no deal on the matter was reached at a global level by the end of next year, ramping up pressure on multinationals accused of paying too little.
Trump takes aim at Vestager: ‘She hates the US’
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (26 June) suggested the European Union was out of line in "suing" US technology companies like Facebook and Alphabet Inc's Google, saying legal action against those firms should be the purview of the United States.
Champions grow through competition
Instead of letting governments picking ‘champions’, the EU should strengthen the single market, invest more in innovation and “assertively” pursue fair and equal trade policies, argue Dutch ministers Eric Wiebes, Sigrid Kaag and Mona Keijzer.
Europe needs to think in the long-term
The European Commission's opposition to the Alstom/Siemens merger belongs not in the 21C, but in last century's old economic mantras. The Commission doesn't seem to have fully taken the measure of how much our world has changed, writes Bernard Spitz.
Big fat Greek lignite sale burns EU climate policies
While other EU countries, such as Germany, announce plans for coal phase-out within the next 20 years in compliance with their Paris Agreement commitments, Greece’s future appears locked in carbon for decades to come, write Demetres Karavellas and Nikos Charalambides.
Fact-check: Did EU gas liberalisation rules put Bulgaria’s national security at risk?
Bulgarian minister Temenuzhka Petkova has said her country preferred paying a multi-million euro fine rather than follow a Commission injunction. Such a reform, in her words, would have threatened the country's national security. EURACTIV checked the facts.
Vestager: We would have preferred to close the Bulgaria gas case without a fine
The Commission imposed on Monday (17 December) a multi-million fine on Bulgaria’s BEH for blocking access to key natural gas infrastructure in the country. Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the fine could have been avoided, had Sofia decided to follow another negotiation strategy.
Commission to fine Bulgaria over gas market distortions
The European Commission will fine Bulgarian Energy Holding as early as this month for hindering rivals’ access to key gas infrastructure, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday (11 December), based on information from three sources familiar with the dossier.
Spanish, Belgian companies face charges of ethanol benchmark rigging
Spanish ethanol producer Abengoa and Belgium peer Alcogroup have been charged by European Union antitrust regulators with rigging ethanol benchmarks and are likely to face fines next year, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday (29 August).
EU to slam Google with record fine ahead of Juncker US visit
Google is set to face a record-busting EU antitrust fine this week over its Android mobile operating system but rivals hoping that an order to halt unfair business practices will help them may be disappointed.
Commission says Airbnb breaches EU consumer rules, must fall into line
The European Union told Airbnb yesterday (16 July) to bring its terms and conditions into line with the bloc's consumer rules or face action by national consumer agencies, after a review of the short-term rental platform found some violations.
As expected, Vestager lets Gazprom off the hook
The EU's antitrust regulators have ended their investigation into Gazprom without imposing any fines, the Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager announced on Thursday (24 May). The Russian gas giant welcomed the EU's decision and promised to reform.
Commission to announce peace deal with Gazprom by next week
EU regulators will settle their antitrust case with Gazprom by next week, people close to the matter said on Monday (14 May), after the Russian energy giant pledged to change its pricing structure and allow rivals a foothold in eastern Europe.