European Union News - Internal Market

On the 23rd of May 2008 the EC published a communication of the confirmed state aid from the 16th April 2008, to two maritime transport service companies in Scotland, United Kingdom. Under procedures relating the implementation of the competition policy, state aid in the form of subsidies has been awarded to CalMac and NorthLink for maritime transport services. The Commission has invited third parties to offer their comments. They must be received within one month of the date of publication of this decision to:

European Commission
Directorate-General for Energy and Transport
Directorate A — Unit 2
B-1049 Brussels
Fax (32-2) 296 41 04

Rules providing for systems providing mobile satellite services - such as broadband internet or mobile TV - to be selected at EU level in the future were backed by the European Parliament on Wednesday 21st of May 2008. MEPs approved a first-reading compromise, negotiated with Council beforehand, which aims to improve accessibility, speed, and quality of electronic communications services especially in rural areas. The report was adopted by 652 votes in favour with 16 votes against and 10 abstentions.

On 13 May 2008, the European Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration by which The Carlyle Group
(‘Carlyle’, USA) acquires control of the whole of the undertaking Neochimiki L.V. Lavrentiadis SA (‘Neochimiki’, Greece) by way of purchase of shares.

On 8 May 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration by which the Apollo Group (‘Apollo Group’, USA) through Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc. (‘Hexion’, USA) acquires control of the whole of the undertaking Huntsman Corporation (‘Huntsman’, USA) by way of purchase of shares. The official text was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 21th May 2008.

On the 21st May 2008 the European Commission Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission as part of the EC Treaty concerning State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products. Two of which were directed towards the Agricultural sectors of different regions of England, United Kingdom.

On the 21st of May 2008, the European Commission published a series of authorisations for State aid as part of the EC Treaty. No objections were raised. One of which, adopted on the 10th of Janurary 2008, was for the Post and telecommunications sectors within Wales, United Kingdom. The scheme which comes in the form of a direct grant is called the Fibrespeed broadband project Wales.

On the 20th May 2008, the European Commission has published a summary of the Commission Decision relating an infrigement within the Dutch beer markeyt by six main players. These are InBev NV, InBev Nederland NV, Heineken NV, Heineken Nederland BV, Koninklijke Grolsch NV and Bavaria NV.

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Logix of France by the US-based company Arrow Electronics. The Commission's investigation has shown that the concentration would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.

The European Commission launched an initiative to help put the EU's flexicurity approach – balancing flexibility in the job market with employment security for workers – into practice at national level. This 'Mission for Flexicurity' aims to reach out to workers, employers and others through a series of country visits over the next two months. The initiative follows a decision by Member States at the Informal Employment Council in Brdo in January 2008. It will kick off in France on the 19th May 2008, followed by events in Sweden, Finland, Poland and Spain.

On the eve of the first European Maritime Day, the European Commission has invited a number of senior shipping professionals to discuss the strategic challenges and opportunities for European shipping and the maritime transport system over the next decade. The European Commission has initiated a strategic reflection into the best ways to ensure a prosperous future for European shipping. As well recognising the need to maintain a competitive European maritime cluster with highly qualified seafarers and maritime professionals, the commission aims to ensure that a European maritime system can accommodate the fast changes in the globalised world.