European Union News - Internal Market

In July 22nd the Official Journal of the European Union published the Summary of the Commission Decision declaring the concentration between Google and Double Click compatible with the common market and the functioning of the EEA Agreement. This Decision was accompanied by the positive opinion of the Advisory Committee on Mergers, and the Final report of the Hearing Officer.

The Official Journal of the European Union has published last 19 July it has published the non-opposition to a notified concentration agreed on 11 July 2008 by the competition services of the Commission. It has been declared compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.

The purpose of the Green Paper is to foster a debate on how knowledge for research, science and education can best be disseminated in the online environment. The Green Paper aims to set out a number of issues connected with the role of copyright in the "knowledge economy" and intends to launch a consultation on these issues.

With the objective to facilitate further amendments on the existing legislation on rail interoperability, and given that some amendments have already been done in Directive 2004/50/EC, the Official Journal of the European Union published on July 18th Directive 2008/57/EC on the interoperability of the rail system within the Community.

The European Commission proposed on July 16th an important revision of the EU framework for investment funds, which provides consumers with access to professionally managed investments on affordable terms. The new provisions will increase the efficiency of the current legislative framework in a number of key areas.

Despite the calls made by the Commission on the industry for self-regulation and voluntary reductions of roaming prices for text messages, those calls have not been answered. The Commission will therefore start working on measures to ensure that consumers benefit from a truly single market for mobile text services.

On July 10th, the Official Journal of the European Union published the Commission's decision not to  oppose the notified concentration by which DP World Ltd  and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, acquire joint control over  Contarsa Sociedad de Estiba, SA by way of purchase of shares.

The European Commission has made a proposal for a amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards reduced rates of value added tax (COM(2008) 428/3) based on the study on reduced VAT applied to goods and services in the Member States of the European Union presented by Copenhagen Economics based on the Article 93 of the Treaty. Products referred in the proposal to have a reduced VAT are feminine sanitary protection and children's nappies, equipment for the disabled, e-books, housing sector, concerning foodstuffs, the supply of alcoholic beverages are not included.

This new General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) consolidates into one text and harmonises the rules previously existing in five separate Regulations, and enlarges the categories of state aid covered by the exemption. It will take effect 20 days after publication in the Official Journal, allowing Member States to grant better targeted aid immediately.

The Official Journal of the European Union has published on the 4th July 2008 the Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) to be applied to all contracts to be signed after 17th December 2009. The EC Regulation harmonise the regulations in this area in order to maintain and develop an area of freedom, security and justice in the European Union.

The Commission of the European Communities has presented a proposal for  a Council Decision authorising the Italian Republic to apply a measure derogating from Article 285 of Council Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax (COM(2008) 404 final)

The European Commission has adopted Guidelines on the application to maritime transport services of EC Treaty rules on restrictive business practices. Those Guidelines will help maritime operators understand the implications of this change, and provide details on market definition, information exchange in liner shipping and on operational co-operation agreements between tramp operators (i.e. unscheduled maritime transport of non-containerised bulk cargo), so-called pool agreements.