Premier League Competition Warning Sports Minister Richard Caborn is warning premiership clubs that they need to engage with EU proposals to reform sport governance, alternative is to face legal action in the future, imminent white paper likely to include national quotas for players 08.05.07 Financial Times, Competition Law, Sports Law
Block Likely for RBS Bid for ABN Amro EU competition authorities are expected to block RBS from bidding for ABN Amro, currently target of bid from Barclays, RBS subsidiary Fortis would have 'stranglehold' on Dutch insurance market 16.04.07 Times, Banking Law
Open Skies, Open for Merger Open skies agreement between EU and US will lead to slew of airline mergers, smaller national airlines will have difficulty competing with cross-border operators such as Virgin, BA and Lufthansa Times BA ready to bid £1b for BMI 28.03.07 Telegraph, Aviation, Competition Law, World Trade
EU Keeps Up Pressure on Microsoft EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes has told MEPs that Microsoft is 'constantly gaining market share', promises hard line as deadline on punitive fines approaches next week 23.03.07 Guardian, Microsoft
Isolated UK Signs EU-US Air Deal UK 'reluctantly' signed EU-US deal to liberalise transatlantic air routes, minister Douglas Alexander insists UK can withdraw if US fails to open market by 2010, aim is for Open Aviation Area Times Virgin may bid for BMI Telegraph EU will withdraw if there is no phase two agreement by 2010 23.03.07 Financial Times, Aviation, EU Law, World Trade
Vote on EU-US Aviation Deal UK favours limited deal with US on transatlantic routes, would like reforms in US to parallel opening of EU market, right of European carriers to operate internally in the US, to own US airlines 22.03.07 BBC, Aviation, World Trade
Redress for Competition Breaches Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has published a discussion paper on private actions in competition law and how consumers and business can get effective redress for breaches, aim to inform OFT response to forthcoming EU white paper, main focus of the paper is the extension of representative actions (not class actions) 23.04.07 Law Now, Competition Law, Consumer Rights, EU Law, Litigation
Court Allows GSK Dual Pricing CFI has decided European Commission was wrong to conclude object of GSK dual pricing in Spain was to restrict competition, system sought to limit parallel trade in medicines, firm requested decision on competition law compatibility or individual exemption 02.10.06 Law Now, Pharmaceuticals
MasterCard Fees The EU has sent a supplementary Statement of Objections (SO) to MasterCard in relation to its cross-border interchange fees (fees paid by merchant banks to card issuing banks for over the counter payments with a MasterCard or Maestro branded payment card) 09.07.06 Law Now, Competition Law, Retail Law
Price of Beer Lords to decide on beer pricing, Bernie Crehan lost his two pubs due to contract with Inntrepreneur forcing him to buy Courage beer at full list price, Appeal Ct ruled breach of EU competition law 05.06.06 Times, Competition Law, Licensing
Bleach Cartel EU Commission has fined seven manufacturers of bleaching chemicals, nine companies exchanged commercially confidential information, limited production, allocated market shares and customers and fixed and monitored prices 10.05.06 Law Now, Basic Materials
Microsoft Appeal ECJ to begin hearing Microsoft appeal of £344m EU fine for alleged breaches of competition law in blocking access to rival media players in Windows operating system 24.04.06 BBC, Competition Law, EU Law, Microsoft
EU Competition Law The European Commission has just issued consultation papers containing proposals to encourage claimants to enforce their rights and bring claims for damages for breach of EU competition law 30.12.05 Law Now, Competition Law
Abuse of Dominance The European Commission has published a consultation paper on the EU prohibition of companiesâ abuse of dominant market positions 30.12.05 Law Now, Competition Law
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EU Allows Thompson, MyTravel Merger EU has given green-light to Thompson and MyTravel (previously Airtours), to merge, will create second largest tour business in Europe, regulators say internet opens alternative channels for independent operators 08.05.07 BBC, MyTravel
Brewers Fined for Dutch Cartel InBev, Heineken, Grolsch and Bavaria face large fine relating to collusion in the 1990s, fines can be up to 10% of worldwide turnover 18.04.07 Times
ECJ Approves Online Gambling European court says authorities cannot prosecute local contractors providing data services allowing Stanley Leisure to provide gambling website in Italy, prohibitions are restriction on establishing and providing services 07.03.07 Telegraph, EU Law, Gambling Law, Online Gambling
EU to Probe Royal Mail Subsidies European Commission has launched a formal inquiry into £2.6b received in UK govt loans over the past six years, acting on complaints from TNT and DHL, owned by Deutsche Post 23.02.07 Times, Competition Law
ECJ Signals End to VW Law ECJ has supported EU Commission in pursuit of 'Volkswagen Law', German state law giving Land rights of ultimate control over carmaker, decisions on E.ON, Endessa show willingness to take hard line on competition 19.02.07 Times, EU Law
Super-Fine for EU Cartel EU has imposed record £500m fine on Seimens for role in cartel seen to have rigged market in electrical switching gear, ABB exempted for blowing whistle, others were Alstom, Areva, Schneider, Fuji, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba and Japan AE, used codenames and encrypted emails to disguise bogus bids 25.01.07 Times, Utilities
EU Fines Copper Cartel Tomkins, Delta and Flowflex among firms fined by EU for running cartel in copper fittings used in plumbing, increased fines for AFC, Delta, Aalberts and Legris for continuing with cartel once inquiry began 21.09.06 BBC, Basic Materials, Competition Law
New Microsoft Lawyer to Fight EU Microsoft has appointed Erich Andersen to replace Horacio Gutierrez as legal head of EMEA, focus will be dealing with appeal of media player ruling in the EU 06.09.06 CBR, Microsoft
Freshfields Voted Best for Cross-Border Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has been voted the top competition practice globally in PLC Cross-border magazine's Which Lawyer? 'Competition Super League' for the fourth consecutive year, with 30 recommended lawyers across 13 jurisdictions 10.04.07 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
