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CR Focus 1st October 2008
European Notifications and Publications
Mergers - Invitations to Comment

Fortis/Delta Lloyd ABN AMRO Verzekeringen Holding BV >>>more>>>

LAHC/Barclays Life >>>more>>>

HMC/HAII >>>more>>>

Aegon/Caixa Terrassa/Caixa Terrassa Vida >>>more>>>

Mergers Cleared - Subject to Conditions

WPP/TNS >>>more>>>

Mergers Cleared

Kenwood/JVC/Holdco >>>more>>>

Bertelsmann/3i/Buy Vip >>>more>>>

Diehl/Thales/Laupheim >>>more>>>

NTT Data/Cirquent >>>more>>>

Indaver/NEIF/JV >>>more>>>

Speeches

Neelie Kroes speech: "Exclusionary abuses of dominance - the European Commission's enforcement priorities" >>>more>>>

Joaquín Almunia speech: "Situation of the world financial system and its effects on the European economy" >>>more>>>

José Manuel Durão Barroso speech: "A Letter from Brussels to the Next President of the United States of America" >>>more>>>

Mariann Fischer Boel speech: "Method and sense: asking questions about a CAP for after 2013" >>>more>>>

Mariann Fischer Boel speech: "The CAP Health Check: an opportunity for regions" >>>more>>>

Miscellaneous

EC announces reduction in texting and mobile data services abroad costs by as much as 60% from July 2009 >>>more>>>

EC launches public consultation on steps to put Europe as forerunner in move to Web 3.0 >>>more>>>

EC opens debate on how to ensure all Europeans have access to Broadband Internet >>>more>>>

EC reports that European Parliament voted favourably to reform EU Telecom Rules to create single EU telecoms market >>>more>>>

EC holds public presentation of preliminary findings following inquiry into competition in pharmaceuticals market >>>more>>>

 
UK Notifications & Publications
Consultations

Ofcom: Delivering super-fast broadband in the UK - Setting the right policy framework >>>more>>>

Ofcom: Second Public Service Broadcasting Review - Phase 2: preparing for the digital future >>>more>>>

Ofcom: Pay TV - Access to premium content >>>more>>>

Ofcom: "Sky's 'Picnic' proposal" >>>more>>>

CAT

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc; Virgin Media inc. v (1) The Competition Commission; (2) The Secretary of State >>>more>>>

BCL Old Co Limited (2) DFL Old Co Limited (3) PFF Old Co Limited (4) Deans Foods Limited v (1) BASF AG (2) BASF plc (3) Frank Wright Limited >>>more>>>

Hutchison 3G UK Limited British Telecommunications Plc v Office Of Communications >>>more>>>

Vodafone v Office Of Communications >>>more>>>

Mergers - Invitation to Comment

Goodrich Corporation/Rolls-Royce plc >>>more>>>

Lloyds TSB plc/HBOS plc >>>more>>>

Nationwide Building Society/Cheshire Building Society >>>more>>>

Nationwide Building Society/Derbyshire Building Society >>>more>>>

Mergers Cleared

Chiral Technologies Europe SAS/Chromtech Limited >>>more>>>

Thales UK Limited/nCipher plc >>>more>>>

Mergers Cleared - Full Text Decisions

Cable and Wireless Group plc/the outstanding Thus Group shares >>>more>>>

BAE Systems plc/Detica Group plc >>>more>>>

Stagecoach Bus Holdings Limited/Cavalier Contracts Limited >>>more>>>

Miscellaneous

Ofcom publishes Ed Richards interview on Radio 4 relating to PSB consultation >>>more>>>

Ofcom announces Barclaycard fined £50,000 for breaching rules on silent and abandoned calls >>>more>>>

Ofcom publishes guide to dealing with silent calls >>>more>>>

Ofcom publishes statement relating to crackdown on mobile phone companies charges on text and data roaming charges >>>more>>>

Ofwat publishes financial performance and expenditure of the water companies in England and Wales 2007-08 >>>more>>>

OFT publishes summary of responses to consultation on draft merger guidance >>>more>>>

 
European Notifications and Publications
Mergers - Invitations to Comment

COMP/M.5285: Fortis/Delta Lloyd ABN AMRO Verzekeringen Holding BV - banking and insurance. Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should submit their comments by 5 October 2008. To read the notification, click here.

COMP/M.5321: LAHC/Barclays Life - life and non-life insurances. Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should submit their comments by 5 October 2008. To read the notification, click here.

COMP/M.5323: HMC/HAII - manufacturer of motor vehicles, distributors and importers of Hyundai in Italy. Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should submit their comments by 7 October 2008. To read the notification, click here.

COMP/M.5348: Aegon/Caixa Terrassa/Caixa Terrassa Vida - insurances, pensions, banking. Candidate for simplified procedure. Interested parties should submit their comments by 7 October 2008. To read the notification, click here.

Mergers Cleared - Subject to Conditions

COMP/M.5232: WPP/TNS - advertising, marketing data services, consultancy. To read the press release, click here.

Mergers Cleared

COMP/M.5221: Kenwood/JVC/Holdco - electronic equipment. To read the decision, click here.

COMP/M.5266: Bertelsmann/3i/Buy Vip - media company, private equity, business consultancy services. To read the decision, click here.

COMP/M.5276: Diehl/Thales/Laupheim - aerospace, defence, securities, aircraft manufacture. To read the decision, click here.

COMP/M.5302: NTT Data/Cirquent - telecommunications, data and IT services. To read the decision, click here.

COMP/M.5304: Indaver/NEIF/JV - waste and hazardous waste management, merchant bank, private equity. To read the decision, click here.

Speeches

Neelie Kroes speech: "Exclusionary abuses of dominance - the European Commission's enforcement priorities". To read the speech, click here.

Joaquín Almunia speech: "Situation of the world financial system and its effects on the European economy". To read the speech, click here.

José Manuel Durão Barroso speech: "A Letter from Brussels to the Next President of the United States of America". To read the speech, click here.

Mariann Fischer Boel speech: "Method and sense: asking questions about a CAP for after 2013". To read the speech, click here.

Mariann Fischer Boel speech: "The CAP Health Check: an opportunity for regions". To read the speech, click here.

Miscellaneous

The European Commission has announced that from July 2009 the cost of texting and mobile data services abroad will be reduced by as much as 60%. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on what steps to take in putting Europe as a forerunner in the move to Web 3.0. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission has opened a debate on how to ensure that all Europeans have access to Broadband Internet and the future of a universal service. To read the press release, click here and here.

The European Commission has reported that the European Parliament has voted favourably in the reform of the EU Telecom Rules to help create a single EU telecoms market. To read the press release, click here.

The European Commission is to hold a public presentation of the preliminary findings following the inquiry into competition in the pharmaceuticals market. To read the press release, click here.

 
UK Notifications & Publications
Consultations

Ofcom has opened a consultation into Delivering super-fast broadband in the UK - Setting the right policy framework. Interested parties should submit their comments by 2 December 2008. To read the consultation, click here, here, here and here.

Ofcom has opened a consultation into the Second Public Service Broadcasting Review - Phase 2: preparing for the digital future. Interested parties should submit their comments by 4 December 2008. To read the consultation, click here and here.

Ofcom has opened a second consultation into Pay TV - Access to premium content. Interested parties should submit their comments by 9 December 2008. To read the consultation, click here, here and here.

Ofcom has opened a second consultation on "Sky's 'Picnic' proposal". Interested parties should submit their comments by 9 December 2008. To read the consultation, click here.

CAT

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc; Virgin Media inc. v (1) The Competition Commission; (2) The Secretary of State. The CAT has published the non-confidential version of its Judgment dismissing BSkyB's appeal and partially dismissing Virgin's appeal. To read the Judgment, click here and to read the appeal, click here.

BCL Old Co Limited (2) DFL Old Co Limited (3) PFF Old Co Limited (4) Deans Foods Limited v (1) BASF AG (2) BASF plc (3) Frank Wright Limited. The CAT has published its Judgment on the Preliminary Issue on the time limits for bringing a claim. To read the judgment, click here.

Hutchison 3G UK Limited British Telecommunications Plc v Office Of Communications. The CAT has published its ruling on admissibility of submissions concerning depreciation of 3G spectrum in Ofcom cost models. To read the ruling, click here.

Vodafone v Office Of Communications. The CAT has published the Order of the Tribunal allowing Vodafone's appeal against Ofcom, following the CAT's recent judgment on Ofcom's telephone number portability statement. To read the order, click here.

Mergers - Invitation to Comment

Goodrich Corporation/Rolls-Royce plc - aircraft engine controls. Interested parties should submit their comments by 13 October 2008. To read the notification, click here.

Lloyds TSB plc/HBOS plc - banking Services. Interested parties should submit their comments by 8 October 2008. To read the notification, click here.

Nationwide Building Society/Cheshire Building Society - building societies. Interested parties should submit their comments by 10 October 2008. To read the notification, click here.

Nationwide Building Society/Derbyshire Building Society - building societies. Interested parties should submit their comments by 10 October 2008. To read the notification, click here.

Mergers Cleared

Chiral Technologies Europe SAS/Chromtech Limited - chromatographic equipment. To red the decision, click here.

Thales UK Limited/nCipher plc - IT security products. To read the decision, click here.

Mergers Cleared - Full Text Decisions

Cable and Wireless Group plc/the outstanding Thus Group shares - telecommunications. To read the full text decision, click here.

BAE Systems plc/Detica Group plc - IT services for the National Security and Resilience Sector. To read the full text decision, click here.

Stagecoach Bus Holdings Limited/Cavalier Contracts Limited - bus services. To read the full text decision, click here.

Miscellaneous

Ofcom has published Ed Richards interview on Radio 4 relating to the PSB consultation together with various related documents. To read the document, click here, here, here and here.

Ofcom has announced that its has fined Barclaycard the maximum amount possible (£50,000) for breaching rules on silent and abandoned calls. To read the press release, click here and here.

Ofcom has published a guide to dealing with silent calls. To read the document, click here.

Ofcom has published a statement warning mobile phone companies to reduce text and data roaming charges or face action from the European Commission. To read the document, click here.

Ofwat has published the financial performance and expenditure of the water companies in England and Wales 2007-08. To read the document, click here.

The OFT has published a summary of responses to its consultation on its draft merger guidance. To read the summary, click here.