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iTunes hits wrong note with Commission
- The European Commission said on Tuesday (3 April) that it had warned Apple that its iTunes music download site breaks EU antitrust rules because limiting consumers to buying music from the iTune store in their own member state restricts choice. Apple and the record companies that it has struck deals with have several months to respond to the Commission’s complaints.
Spain faces E.ON action
- The Commission said on Tuesday that it would continue with legal action against Spain over conditions attached to a takeover bid by German energy company E.ON for Spanish company Endesa. The previous day E.ON had agreed with Italy’s Enel and Spanish construction company Acciona to buy only some of Endesa’s assets.
German drugs firm faces patents probe
- The Commission has begun antitrust action against German pharmaceuticals company Boehringer over alleged misuse of patents.
Ryanair takes offence
- Ryanair on Friday (30 March) accused the Commission of bias and condemned the leaking of a statement of objections to its proposed takeover of Aer Lingus.
Railway deal gets go-ahead
- The Commission has cleared a proposed merger between Alstom UK and Balfour Beatty to create a joint venture in railway signalling.
Slovakia and Poland warned over telecoms
- In a report on the EU telecoms markets (29 March), the Commission said Slovakia and Poland lacked truly independent regulators, criticised delays in imposing remedies on companies and application of competition law. But it said charges for domestic mobile services had fallen by 13.9%.
Ireland told to change tax regime
- The Commission has requested Ireland to change its remittance base taxation for non-domiciled taxpayers so that it does not discriminate against income sourced from the UK.
The European Commission is hoping to make progress towards an EU-wide area for patent litigation as a first step towards a community patent in the second half of this year.
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