|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20 November
2020
2/2020
|
|
|
|
Competition Weekly e-news
Cases, Judgments, News
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EU Competition
|
DG COMP Website
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
State aid
|
|
|
|
20/11/2020
|
|
Commission approves Danish fund to enable €1.34 billion of capital support to large companies affected by coronavirus outbreak
|
|
The European Commission has approved Danish plans to set up a fund with a target size of up to DKK 10 billion (approximately €1.34 billion) to recapitalise large enterprises affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20/11/2020
|
|
Commission approves Austrian "Fixkostenzuschuss Phase II" scheme to support uncovered fixed costs of companies affected by coronavirus outbreak
|
|
The European Commission has approved the Austrian "Fixkostenzuschuss Phase II" scheme to support the uncovered fixed costs of companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20/11/2020
|
|
Commission approves German "umbrella" scheme to support uncovered fixed costs of companies affected by coronavirus outbreak
|
|
The European Commission has approved a German "umbrella" scheme to support the uncovered fixed costs of companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mergers
|
|
|
|
19/11/2020
|
|
Commission refers acquisition of newly created joint venture by Telefónica and Liberty Global to the UK competition authority
|
|
The European Commission has referred the proposed acquisition by Telefónica S.A. and Liberty Global PLC of a newly created joint venture to the Consumers and Market Authority ("CMA") of the UK, at its request. The proposed joint venture will combine Telefónica's UK Limited business ("O2") and Liberty Global's Virgin Media business ("Virgin Media"). Both companies are active in the telecommunications sector in the UK.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Court
|
|
|
|
18/11/2020
|
|
Lietuvos geležinkeliai v Commission
|
|
The Commission takes note of today's judgment by the General Court confirming the Decision of the Commission of 2 October 2017 in the Baltic Rail case, fining Lithuanian Railways for abusing its dominant position on the Lithuanian rail freight market.
The General Court confirmed that the Commission correctly interpreted the concepts of abuse of a dominant position, of objective justification under Article 102 TFEU and also confirmed that it correctly determined of the duration of an infringement.
The Commission will closely analyse today's judgment by the General Court as far as the reduction of the fine is concerned.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conferences/Speeches
|
|
|
|
16/11/2020
|
|
Shaping the future: the role of State aid and competition rules for ensuring a sustainable green and digital recovery
|
|
Speech by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager,
State Aid High Level Forum of the Member States,
16 November 2020.
[...]
"Competition policy is an important part of making that change happen. If we succeed, our State aid rules probably won’t get the credit they deserve. Only a few keen observers will ever appreciate how important our rules are for taking these big steps forward.
That's not something to be disappointed about. On the contrary, it would be a mark of great success." [...]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Public consultations
|
|
|
|
08/09/2020 - 05/01/2021
|
|
Evaluation of State aid rules for broadband infrastructure deployment
|
|
The purpose of the public consultation is to assess whether the Broadband State aid Guidelines and the relevant GBER provisions have met their objectives, what effect they have had on the market and on competition, and whether they need to be updated in light of recent technological and market developments and the new EU digital policy goals. In the consultation, the Commission aims at assessing the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, relevance and EU added value of the existing rules, in line with the Better Regulation requirements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/11/2020 - 07/01/2021
|
|
Revision of the Energy and Environmental Aid Guidelines (EEAG)
|
A Fitness Check on the State aid modernisation package has been carried out. The results of this evaluation, which largely covered the time before the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of the twin transition, show that the EEAG and corresponding GBER rules have generally delivered on their objectives. However, it identified certain aspects where the EEAG should be modernised in a way that minimises distortions of trade and competition in the Single Market. Furthermore, the announcement of the Green Deal requires a wider and deeper review of the EEAG, in particular in the two areas mentioned below.
This initiative is guided by the general main objective of coherence with the twin green and digital transformation of the economy. The revision should result in a modernised, simplified, easy to apply and future-proof enabling framework for public authorities to help reaching the EU environmental and energy objectives in a cost effective manner with minimum distortions of competition and trade within the Union. The two main buildings blocks are a review of the compatibility criteria for environmental protection, as well as an assessment of State aid to energy intensive users.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15/09/2020 - 15/01/2021
|
|
Call for proposals: Training of national judges in EU Competition Law
|
|
The new call for proposals focuses on EU competition law trainings addressing national judges dealing with competition cases at national level. This also includes prosecutors, apprentice national judges and the staff of national courts of eligible countries.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/10/2020 - 25/01/2021
|
|
EU automotive sector – exemption from antitrust rules (review)
|
|
EU antitrust rules usually ban vertical agreements and concerted practices, which are likely to restrict competition in a given sector. There is currently an exemption for certain agreements and practices in the automotive sector, but this expires on 31 May 2023. This evaluation will check whether the exemption is still effective, efficient, and consistent with other EU and national rules.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New legislation
|
|
|
|
|
