European Union News - Internal Market

The European Commisison has launched last 1st april 2008 a new comunication related to the Strategy for the evolution of the Customs Union (COM2008 169 Final). The objective is to maintain the pivotal position of Customs as a modern, responsive partner to trade, protecting the fiscal, safety and security interests of the Community and cooperating with other government.

The European Commission have issued, on 31st March 2008, their official report to the European Parliment and council on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1177/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16th June 2003.

The European Commission, as part of procedures relating the implrementation of the competition policy, has released its official Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.5091 — Tech Data/Scribona) in the offical Journal.

On 19 March 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant by which the undertakings Tech Data AB (Sweden), Tech Data Norge (Norway) and Tech Data Finland Oy (Finland), which are wholly owned subsidiaries of Tech Data Corporation (United States of America, collectively ‘Tech Data’), would acquire control of the undertaking Scribona AB (publ) (‘Scribona’, Sweden) by way of purchase of assets.

The European Commission published its official decision on the 29th March 2008 concerning its conclusions, approving the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco on certain aspects of air services. Full details of the conclusion are availabe in the Offical Journal of the European Union.

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Aearo, a US producer of protective equipment, by the US company 3M. After examining the operation, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.

On 21 December 2007, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia became part of the Schengen area. On Sunday 30 March 2008 at 0:00, the enlargement process will be completed by lifting air border controls between these countries and with the 15 states that were already part of the Schengen system.

Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden are world leaders in broadband deployment with penetration rates over 30% at the end of 2007, says the European Commission’s 13th Progress Report on the Single Telecoms Market issued today. These EU countries, together with the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, all had broadband penetration rates higher than the US (22.1%) in July 2007.

The current EU-wide minimum rate of tax on diesel should be increased to match the current minimum rate for unleaded petrol, but no further, say MEPs. They also want to set a limit on further petrol and diesel tax increases in the Member States which already have the highest taxes.

The European Commission has cleared, under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed joint-venture between Münchmeyer Petersen & Co (MPC) of Germany, Grupo Villacero (Viga-Villacero) of Mexico and MAN AG of Germany. The proposed concentration would result in MPC, Viga-Villacero and MAN combining their worldwide activities in non-stockholding steel distribution. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or a substantial part of it.