THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES THREE FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS INTOE-COMMERCE PRACTICES

In the press release published on 2 February 2017, the Commission has announced the opening of the formal proceedings that aim to verify the existence of anticompetitive online sales practices concerning consumer electronics, video games and hotel accommodation. The investigations are conducted in the context of Article 101 TFEU that prohibits anti-competitive agreements between companies.…

THE GENERAL COURT UPHOLDS A COMMISSION DECISION FINDING THE UNLAWFULNESS OF A NON-COMPETITION CLAUSE BETWEEN PT AND TELEFÓNICA WITH RESPECT TO TELEFÓNICA’S ACQUISITION OF THE BRAZILIAN MOBILE OPERATOR VIVO

With a judgment rendered on 28 June 2016 (Joint Cases T-208/13 and T-216/13), the General Court dismissed, almost in their entirety, the actions brought by PT and Telefónica against the decision by which the Commission, in 2013, and sanctioned the two incumbent operators in the area of electronic communications for a market-sharing agreement, enacted through a…

THE ECJ UPHOLDS TWO JUDGMENTS OF THE GENERAL COURT IN THE CALCIUM CARBIDE CARTEL

On 16 June 2016, the Court of Justice of the European Union rejected the appeals brought by SKW (C-154/14 P) and Degussa (C-155/14 P) against the General Court’s rulings, which had upheld the decision adopted by the Commission in the calcium carbide cartel. By that decision, the Commission had fined 9 suppliers of calcium carbide…

THE CATALAN COMPETITION AUTHORITY (ACCO) HAS IMPOSED A FINE OF 950,000 EUROS TO FOUR SUCCESSFUL BIDDERS IN THE AREA OF REHABILITATION SERVICES

The four sanctioned companies are Fisioterapia, Iriteb, L’Eivax y Centro de Accidentes Laborales y Rehabilitación Gramenet (Carlg). The fines imposed are the following: Fisioterapia: 600,000 euros; Iriteb has been fined 240,000 euros, L’Eivax 80,000 euros and Carlg 30,000 euros. According to research conducted by ACCO, it has been concluded that after the public tender called…

THE COMMISSION FILES STATEMENT OF OBJECTIONS IN THE PAY-TV SERVICES PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SKY UK AND US FILM STUDIOS

On 23 July, the European Commission has filed a formal Statement of Objections against Sky UK and six major US film studios (Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros), having preliminarily determined that their bilateral licensing agreements containing clauses that inhibit access to pay-TV services for consumers located outside the UK and…

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION FINES A CARTEL IN THE RETAIL PACKAGING TRAYS MARKET

The European Commission has fined ten undertakings participating in five different cartels in the market of retail packaging trays. Eight manufacturers (Huhtamäki of Finland, Nespak and Vitembal of France, Silver Plastics of Germany, Coopbox, Magic Pack and Sirap-Gema of Italy and Linpac of the UK) and two distributors (Ovarpack of Portugal and Propack of the…

THE GENERAL COURT RULES ON 5 APPEALS AGAINST CANDLE WAX CARTEL DECISION

On 12 December 2014, the General Court of the European Union rejected (partially in one case) the appeals brought by Hansen & Rosenthal, Tudapetrol, ChemPharm, ENI and Repsol against the Commission decision of 1 October 2008. The Commission fined, on that occasion, nine wax producers for price fixing and market sharing and imposed a total…