The European Commission has opened two merger investigations involving hard disk drive manufacturers. The first transaction concerns Seagate Technology’s planned acquisition business of Samsung HDD business, and the second concerns Western Digital Corp.’s planned acquisition of Hitachi HDD business.
Category Archives: EU News
EC Investigated Container Liner Shipping
June 1, 2011 – 10:31 am
European Commission officials inspected container liner shipping companies concerning possible antitrust violations.
EC Investigates Generator Company Merger
May 12, 2011 – 2:39 pm
The EC is investigating the planned acquisition of MWM Holding GmbH of Germany by Caterpillar Inc. of the US. Both companies are active in the reciprocating engine generator sets (“gensets”) market. Gensets are used to generate power, and the Commission is concerned that the merger would restrain competition in the gas powered genset market.
EC Opens Credit Default Swap Investigations
May 12, 2011 – 2:36 pm
The EC is investigating the credit default swaps market, examining whether (1) 16 investment banks and Markit, the leading provider of financial information in the CDS market, colluded in order to control financial information, and (2) 9 of the banks and ICE Clear Europe, the leading clearing house for CDS. The Commission will investigate in particular whether the preferential tariffs granted by […]
ECJ Upholds Fine on Visa for Excluding Bank From Payment System
May 12, 2011 – 2:32 pm
The European Court of Justice has upheld a 2007 EC decision finding that Visa infringed EU rules on restrictive business practices by refusing to admit Morgan Stanley Bank as a member to its payment card network. The Court also upheld the €10.2 million fine imposed on Visa.
EU Household Laundry Powder Cartel
May 12, 2011 – 2:25 pm
The EC fined Procter & Gamble and Unilever € 315.2 million for operating a cartel together with Henkel in the market for household laundry powder detergents in eight European Union countries. The fine on the two companies was reduced 10%, because they acknowledged the facts and thus enabled the EC to bring the investigation to a swift conclusion.
EU Rail Freight Investigation
May 12, 2011 – 2:15 pm
EC officials conducted surprise inspections of companies active in the rail freight sector and related products industry in Baltic countries.
EU Magazine Paper Merger Investigation
May 12, 2011 – 2:11 pm
The EC is investigating the planned paper industry acquisition by UPM-Kymmene Corporation of Myllykoski Corporation and Rhein Papier GmbH. The EC is concerned that the merger will restrain competition in the magazine paper market. The Commission now has 90 working days, until 19 July, 2011, to take a final decision.
EC Prestressed Steal Cartel Fines Issued
May 11, 2011 – 2:48 pm
The European Commission has fined 17 prestressed steel producers for operating a multi-national cartel from the 1980s through 2002. The fines totaled € 269 870 750.
Activision Antitrust Fine Upheld by European Court of Justice
April 15, 2011 – 1:35 pm
The European Court of Justice, the European Union’s highest court, upheld a €500,000 ($680,000) fine against Activision Blizzard Germany GmbH for its antitrust violation regarding parallel exports of Nintendo products. Activision was found to have participated in a scheme, along with several other distributors including Nintendo Co. Ltd., to restrict the sale of Nintendo products […]