May 2000

Anticompetitive practices

 The EU Commission closes its examination of a horizontal agreement concerning energy efficiency of appliances (European Committee of Manufacturers of Electrical Machines and Power Electronics - CEMEP)
DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 6 contributions 2268 visits
"Horizontal agreements on energy efficiency of appliances : a comparison between CECED and CEMEP"* On 15 May 2000, the Competition Directorate-General closed its examination of an agreement concluded under the aegis of the European Committee of Manufacturers of Electrical Machines and Power (...)

Mergers

 The Spanish Competition Authority clears a merger in Phase II with divestment remedies as modified by the Council of Ministries (Carrefour / Promodès)
PwC (Madrid)
Spain 24 contributions 53093 visits
The operation The merger involved Carrefour’s acquisition of most of the shares of Promodès. Both companies had multinational operations, and the Spanish competition authorities assessed the effects of the merger in Spain. Carrefour and Promodès are multinational companies based in France, with (...)

The Slovak Competition Office approves a merger in the press sector suject to divestments (Versus/Danubiaprint)
Čechová & Partners (Bratislava)
Slovakia 11 contributions 17894 visits
The operation By a decision dated 25 04 2000, the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic authorized the acquisition of the exclusive control of the company VERSUS over the part of the undertaking Danubiaprint, consisting in a purchase of the printing devices of Danubiaprint on the vendue (...)

The Slovak Competition Office approves a merger in the financial sector, subject to the sale of a controlling stake in another bank (Slovenska sporitelna / Priemyselná banka)
Čechová & Partners (Bratislava)
Slovakia 11 contributions 17894 visits
The operation By a decision dated 23 05 2000, the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic authorized the acquisition of exclusive control of the major Slovak bank Slovenská sporitelna over the bank Priemyselná banka both active on the multiple markets of financial services provided to the (...)

The EU Commission approves a merger leading to the creation of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer / Warner-Lambert)
European External Action Service (Brussels)
Belgium 36 contributions 11830 visits
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Financial Conduct Authority (London)
United Kingdom 80 contributions 20584 visits
"Merger Control: main developments between 1st May 2000 and 31st August 2000"* Resulting from the merger between Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham, the new company, Glaxo SmithKline, will be the world’s biggest pharmaceuticals firm with 7.3% of global sales. The deal raised concerns about (...)

The Dutch Competition Authority clears a merger in the press sector subject to guaranteeing independence of two regional newspapers (De Telegraaf / De Limburger)
Booking.com
Netherlands 15 contributions 38813 visits
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Fieldfisher (Amsterdam)
Netherlands 15 contributions 38813 visits
The operation De Telegraaf Groep is the publisher of the biggest national newspaper as well of some regional newspapers and DLBV is the publisher of the regional newspaper De Limburger. De Telegraaf Groep proposed acquiring the whole of DLBV’s issued share capital (para. 13). The market(s) (...)

The EU Commission conditionally approves the creation of a European aeronautic, space and defence company (EADS)
European External Action Service (Brussels)
Belgium 36 contributions 11830 visits
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Financial Conduct Authority (London)
United Kingdom 80 contributions 20584 visits
"Merger Control: main developments between 1st May 2000 and 31st August 2000"* The Commission conditionally authorised the proposed creation of EADS, to which German company DaimlerChrysler AG, France’s Lagardère SCA, the French State and the Spanish company Sociedad Estatal de Participationes (...)

The EU Commission conditionally approves the acquisition of UK company active in the personal apparel industry by a leading US consumer goods company (Sara Lee / Courtaulds)
European External Action Service (Brussels)
Belgium 36 contributions 11830 visits
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Financial Conduct Authority (London)
United Kingdom 80 contributions 20584 visits
"Merger Control: main developments between 1st May 2000 and 31st August 2000"* The Commission conditionally approved the acquisition of Courtaulds Textiles Plc by Sara Lee. The deal would have created competition concerns in the hosiery market in France, where the companies own the two largest (...)

The EU Commission conditionally approves a merger in the pharmaceutical sector leading to the creation of the world’s largest pharmaceuticals company (Glaxo Wellcome / SmithKline Beecham)
European External Action Service (Brussels)
Belgium 36 contributions 11830 visits
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Financial Conduct Authority (London)
United Kingdom 80 contributions 20584 visits
"Merger Control: main developments between 1st May 2000 and 31st August 2000"* Resulting from the merger between Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham, the new company, Glaxo SmithKline, will be the world’s biggest pharmaceuticals firm with 7.3% of global sales. The deal raised concerns about (...)

The EU Commission conditionally approves the acquisition of UK producer-branded and retailer branded-biscuits by US company (Nabisco / United Biscuits)
European External Action Service (Brussels)
Belgium 36 contributions 11830 visits
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Financial Conduct Authority (London)
United Kingdom 80 contributions 20584 visits
"Merger Control: main developments between 1st May 2000 and 31st August 2000"* This was the second time this year the Commission has had to rule on a take-over bid involving UB. It was a collective bid involving Finalrealm, the acquiring vehicle formed by Nabisco, US investment company Hicks, (...)

The EU Commission approves, subject to remedies, an acquisition leading to the creation of the world’s largest producers of plastics and chemicals (Dow Chemical / Union Carbide)
European External Action Service (Brussels)
Belgium 36 contributions 11830 visits
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Financial Conduct Authority (London)
United Kingdom 80 contributions 20584 visits
"Merger Control: main developments between 1st May 2000 and 31st August 2000"* The acquisition by Dow Chemical of Union Carbide (UCC), creating one of the world’s largest producers of plastics and chemicals, posed competition concerns in three areas. The Commission found that without the (...)

State Aid

 The French Administrative Court of Dijon denies State aid qualification to carcass disposal service tax on the basis of Art. 86.2 EC (Nevers Viandes)
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton (Brussels)
Belgium 365 contributions 654185 visits
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European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 28 contributions 44321 visits
Brief description of the facts and legal issues The claimant contested the legality of the tax in question, as well as that of another tax financing the processing of bones. It argued that these taxes were incompatible with Articles 90, 87 and 88 EC. Summary of the Court’s findings First, the (...)

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