About: Joaquín Almunia
EU heeds telecoms call for lighter regulation, network investment
Policy executives from Orange, Deutsche Telekom and BT urged a step back in regulations on Tuesday (23 June), arguing they discourage private investment.
EU charges Google in antitrust case
The European Union accused the search engine Google on Wednesday (15 April) of cheating competitors by distorting Internet search results to favour its shopping service, and launched another antitrust investigation into its Android mobile operating system.
Commission told to apologise over Euribor rate-rigging inquiry
The European Commission was told yesterday (12 March) to apologise and put in place stricter guidelines on public statements regarding open investigations, after the EU Ombudsman found a Commissioner made biased statements during a cartel inquiry into the Euribor rate-ringing scandal.
EU lawmakers to vote on Google break-up motion on Thursday
EU lawmakers will likely vote on Thursday (27 November) on a motion proposing the breaking up of Google and other Internet technology companies, increasing political pressure on the bloc's antitrust regulators to take a stronger line on the search giant.![Margrethe Vestager at the Parliament hearing [European Parliament / Flickr]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/05/margrethe_vestager.jpeg)
Vestager needs to blaze a new trail in public communication
As the new Competition Commissioner settles into the role, she should take the opportunity of her arrival to clarify how the EU executive communicates on competition cases, write Alec Burnside and Anne MacGregor, since the issue has landed her predecessor in hot water.
EU’s Almunia says up to successor to decide on Android, forex investigations
Joaquín Almunia, the EU's outgoing antitrust chief, will not open formal investigations into Google's mobile operating system Android, nor into banks suspected of rigging the foreign exchange market, but will leave the decisions to his successor.
EU approves British nuclear project with EDF
A British plan to guarantee the price of power from its first new nuclear project in decades won European Union backing in a landmark ruling on Wednesday (8 October) that threatens to trigger legal challenges.
Google warned about self-promotion in search results
Google Inc, the target of an EU antitrust investigation into its Internet search engine, may face further scrutiny over its other services following several complaints, Europe's antitrust chief said on Tuesday (23 September).
EU’s Almunia readying antitrust charges against Gazprom
European Union regulators are poised to charge Russian gas producer Gazprom with anti-competitive behaviour after a two-year investigation, Europe's antitrust chief said on Tuesday (23 September).
Hinkley nuclear reactor project gains EU approval, leak reveals
Green groups condemn commissioner Almunia’s U-turn, as the EU competition czar deems Hinkley Point C subsidies to be within state aid rules. VideoPromoted content
Commission fines Infineon, Philips, Samsung, Renesas over smart card chips
The European Commission on Wednesday fined Infineon, Philips, Samsung and Renesas over €138 million, after accusing them of coordinating their market behaviour for smart card chips.
European regulators training sights on Google’s mobile software
European regulators are preparing what could be a stern challenge to Google's mobile software business in the coming months after a nearly four-year investigation into the company's web search practices left rivals and European politicians dissatisfied.
Ryanair ordered to repay €10m in French state aid
Two low-cost airlines must repay almost €10 million of French state aid, after the EU Commission decided that it gave them an unfair competitive advantage. EURACTIV France reports.![Around one fourth of industry power in Germany is generated from the plants themselves. Hainburg, Germany October 2013 [Carsten Frenzl/Flickr]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/07/10349662484-1b87b3f9ba-k.jpeg)
Brussels, Berlin bury hatchet over green energy rebates
After months of tension, Germany and the European Commission have resolved their conflict over Berlin's support scheme for renewable energy, by agreeing on planned industry rebates. But this did not happen without concessions from the Merkel government. EURACTIV.de reports.
EU competition policy under attack in new French report
French parliamentarians have renewed their attack against the European Commission's competition policy, asking EU antitrust officials to take an internship “in companies that have been devastated by their decisions". EURACTIV France reports. VideoPromoted content
Commission fines pharmaceutical companies for drug-delay deals
The European Commission on Wednesday imposed fines totaling €427.7 million on the French pharmaceutical company Servier and five producers of generic medicines – Niche/Unichem, Matrix (now part of Mylan), Teva, Krka and Lupin – for concluding a series of deals of deals all aimed at protecting Servier's bestselling blood pressure medicine, perindopril, from price competition by generics in the EU.
EU fines pharma companies for drug-delay deals
European Union antitrust regulators on Wednesday (9 July) fined French drugmaker Servier, Israel's Teva and four others a total of €428 million, as part of a crackdown on deals which block cheaper generic medicine.
Brussels, Berlin still at odds over green energy law
Berlin and Brussels clashed over Germany's green energy law on Thursday (3 July), with Chancellor Angela Merkel reacting angrily to suggestions from Europe's competition chief that Germany had not done enough to comply with European rules. VideoPromoted content
Commission approves Telefónica’s acquisition of E-Plus in Germany
The European Commission approved on Wednesday the proposed acquisition of Dutch Telecom operator KPN's German mobile telecommunications business E-Plus by Telefónica Deutschland. The approval is conditional upon the full implementation of a commitments package submitted by Telefónica.
Sweden gets EU clearance to limit green energy support to national borders
Sweden's renewable energy support scheme is compatible with European Union law, the EU's top court said on Tuesday (1 July), in a ruling that means other member states will avoid a radical overhaul of their renewable energy laws.
Spain aims at ‘important’ commissioner portfolio
The Spanish government wants to have an important portfolio in the next European Commission. Although it seemed that candidate commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete would aim at Agriculture, because of his background, it is also possible that he or another candidate would take an economic portfolio. EURACTIV Spain reports.
EU could probe Google’s YouTube dominance
Europe's antitrust chief said on Monday (30 June) he could investigate Google's YouTube if he saw any attempt by the company to abuse its dominant position in online video searching.![Ana Gomes [European Parliament]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/06/ana_gomes_mep_portugal_credit-eu_parl.jpeg)
Europe’s creative industry is at the mercy of Google
For Europe's creative sector, the threat now and in the future does not come from the imbalances of the banking system, but from one company whose dominant position imposes its business model on the entire market: Google, writes Ana Gomes.