The European Court of Justice recently ruled that pharmaceutical companies operating in the European Union may limit, but not cut off altogether, supplies to wholesalers who seek to profit from purchasing drugs with low price caps and then exporting them to higher-priced markets.
Category Archives: EU News
E-bay Complains About Anticompetitive Distribution Restraints in Europe
September 18, 2008 – 11:04 am
E-bay has asked the European Competition Commission to investigate allegations that distribution agreements in various EU member countries are prohibiting on-line sales. The complaint identifies sporting goods in Spain, schoolbags in Germany, and pushchairs in England as three areas in which anticompetitive distribution agreements are being used. Neelie Kroes, EU Competition Commissioner, promised to investigate […]
EC Sets Fines for Sodium Chlorate Cartel
August 18, 2008 – 4:18 pm
The EC issue fines totaling €79m on four groups of companies that fixed sodium chlorate prices in the late 1990s and 2000. Two companies escaped fines under the EC’s Leniency Program.
EC’s Intel Investigation Continues
July 18, 2008 – 3:53 pm
On July 17, 2008, the EC issued a Statement of Objections to semiconductor producer Intel. Echoing a statement from a year earlier, the Commission continues to express concern that Intel has abused its dominant position to exclude its primary rival, AMD.
EC Seeks to Increase Competition in Copyright Management
July 17, 2008 – 4:06 pm
The EC has prohibited laws forbidding European copyright management firms from competing across national boundaries. Authors will now be able to choose which collecting society manages their copyrights.
Simplified Settlement Procedure
June 30, 2008 – 2:27 am
A simplified settlement procedure for cartels is planned that will permit companies suspected of price-fixing to receive a 10% fine reduction if they acknowledge their involvement.
EC Imposes Fines on Calcuim Carbide & Magnesium Powder Suppliers
June 27, 2008 – 12:14 pm
Update July 2009: The EC has imposed a total of €61.120.000 in fines on nine suppliers of calcium carbide and magnesium based reagents including Germany-based Almamet, Ecka Granulate, Holding Slovenske elektrarne, SKW Stahl-Metallurgie, Austria-based Donau Chemie, Slovakia-based Novácke chemické závody, under Article 81. Netherlands-based Akzo Nobel was not fined despite its participation because it revealed the existence of […]
EC Exanding Probe of Pharmaceutical Industry
June 27, 2008 – 12:11 pm
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that EC antitrust investigators are widening its probe of the pharmaceutical industry, looking at possible unfair tactics that block competition and prop up prices.
Aluminum Fluoride Producers Fined
June 25, 2008 – 10:32 am
June 25, 2008: The European Commission has fined six aluminum fluoride producers for fixing prices during the second half of 2000. Pursuant to the Commission’s 2002 Leniency Program, a Norwegian producer was not fined.
EU Initiates Damages Action Against Lift Company
June 24, 2008 – 12:10 pm
The European Commission has filed cases with the Tribunal de Commerce in Brussels seeking damages from four lifts companies that were previously found to have operated a cartel charging supra-competitive prices for the installation and maintenance of lifts and escalators in its own buildings and those of other EU institutions, both in Brussels and Luxembourg.