Activities of Ramon TREMOSA i BALCELLS related to 2016/2100(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Annual report on EU competition policy (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the annual report on EU competition policy PDF (554 KB) DOC (121 KB)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the annual report on EU competition policy
Amendments (55)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the Commission's investigations into certain anti- competitive practices by a number of companies, in particularly Google, Amazon, Qualcomm and other media companies, film studios and TV distributors; calls on the Commission to speed up all procedures against behaviour which infringes EU antitrust rules; calls on the Commission to address Google's widespread abuse of its dominant position across key vertical search markets, including local search;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas EU competition policy is an essential instrument for a properly functioning internal market in the Unionfighting fragmentation of the internal market and thus creating and maintaining a level playing field for businesses throughout the EU;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Welcomes the Commission SO on Android, a thorough investigation into the Google practice is needed whereby the 'Android' operating system is offered only in conjunction with other Google services, and whereby manufacturers may not pre- install rival products; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to examine in detail Google's dominant market position in the area of direct hotel bookings and local searches, and to seek an appropriate solution to this problem; supports the Commission measures designed to bring about a greater degree of interoperability and portability across all digital sectors and, thereby, avoid a winner-takes-all scenario; stresses the importance of equipping the Commission with the right tools to maintain an up-to-date overview of swift developments on the digital market;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas global cooperation on competition enforcement helps to avoid inconsistencies in remedies and outcomes of enforcement actions, and helps businesses to reduce their costs of compliance;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas the case law of the ECJ and the decision making practice of the Commission give a different interpretation to the notion of 'economic activity' depending on whether the internal market rules or the competition rules are involved; whereas this confusing practice troubles the already burdensome notion of 'economic activity' even further;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the annual report by the Commission on competition policy, which caand its focus on thelp to restore a sufficient level of investment and innovation by creating a fair competition environmen contribution of competition policy to eliminating barriers and distortive state aid measures for the benefit of the internal market; also reiterates that Europe’'s future should be based on innovation;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers that ensuring a level playing field for companies in the internal market also depends on decisively combating social dumping;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recalls that net neutrality is of the uttermost importance to ensure that there is no discrimination between internet services and competition is fully guaranteed. Where "Net neutrality" means the principle according to which all internet traffic is treated equally, without discrimination, restriction or interference, independently of its sender, recipient, type, content, device, service or application;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates that all market players should pay their fair share of tax; Welcomes the Commission’s in-depth investigations into anti-competitive practices such as selective tax advantages or excess profit ruling systems; stresses that the reduction of tax fraud and tax avoidance is fundamental in order to consolidate sound public budgets ; calls the Commission to provide the European Parliament all the requested documentation regarding the tax rulings affaires;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates that all market players should pay their fair share of tax; Welcomes the Commission’s in-depth investigations into anti-competitive practices such as selective tax advantages or excess profit ruling systemsconsiders that healthy tax competition is one of the constitutive elements of the internal market; emphasises therefore the need to eliminate distortive anti-competitive fiscal state aid measures; welcomes the Commission’s in-depth investigations in this regard;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls Member States to publish information on their tax rulings and to present it in a regional breakdown, to ensure that there is not an excess of tax rulings in some regions creating de facto state aid to them;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the need to reinforce the single market through a fiscal union, and calls for the treaties to be amended accordinglyConsiders that a successful European competition policy must take account of the innovativeness of European industry and the competitive conditions afforded to SMEs;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Believes that the Commission should further strengthen the links between competition policy and transport policy to improve the competitiveness of the European transport sector; Calls on the Commission to open up competition in the transport sector in order to complete the Single Market; in particular in those Member States that have port and airport public networks managed and monopolised by the central government or if they persistently generate public deficits; Encourages the Commission to investigate whether certain practices with regard to the imposition of specific hub airports – based on the terms of the over 1000 existing bilateral air services agreements signed by Member States with non-EU countries – are detrimental to fair competition between carriers and airports, and are against European consumers' interests;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Urges the Commission to complete the implementation of the Single European Railway Area, ensure full transparency in the flows of money between infrastructures managers and railway undertakings, and verify that each Member State has a strong and independent national regulator;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission’s Digital Single Market Strategy; reiterates thatemphasises that, according to the Commission's estimates, a unified digital single market could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and could contribute EUR 415 billion per year to the EU economy by breaking down regulatory barriers;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls onWelcomes the Commission to take more ambitious steps’s sectoral investigation of e-commerce, the preliminary results of which have identified certain business practices in this sector which could restrict online competition; calls on the Commission, where necessary, to eliminate obstacles to online competition, in order to ensure barrier-free online shopping for EU consumers purchasing from sellers who are based in another Member State;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that the sharing economy is offering EU consumers numerous innovative products and services; but reiterates that beside the taxation and security aspects, the Commission should also examine its competition aspects; underlines that national or EU rules must not impose the same conditions for different kinds of services or cities;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses Google's widespread abuse of its dominant position across key vertical search markets, notably in the area of local search; calls on the European Commission to order Google to refrain from abusing its dominant general search engine to give advantages to its own specialised search products and to explore additional remedies that would seek to undo the harms that Google has already inflicted on competition, consumers and innovation in all verticals;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the Commission’s investigations into certain anti-competitive practices by a number of companies, in particularly Google, Amazon, Qualcomm and other media companies, film studios and TV distributors; calls on the Commission to speed up all procedures against behaviour which infringes EU antitrust rules; calls on the Commission to address Google's widespread abuse of its dominant position across key vertical search markets, including local search;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Regrets the long duration of the investigations into Google's practices, the shopping search probe was opened in November 2010 1a and the fact that these investigations have already dragged on for several years without any final results; welcomes the Supplementary Statement of Objections sent by the Commission to Google on comparison shopping service1b; asks the EC to decide its next steps before the end of 2016; calls on the Commission to continue to examine determinedly all concerns identified in its investigations, including other areas of local search bias, as it is ultimately part of ensuring a level playing field for all market players in the digital market; __________________ 1a http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP- 10-1624_en.htm 1bhttp://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP- 16-2532_en.htm
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Welcomes the Commission Statement of Objection (SO) on Android, a thorough investigation into the Google practice is needed whereby the 'Android' operating system is offered only in conjunction with other Google services, and whereby manufacturers may not pre- install rival products; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to examine in detail Google's dominant market position in the area of direct hotel bookings and local searches, and to seek an appropriate solution to this problem; supports the Commission measures designed to bring about a greater degree of interoperability and portability across all digital sectors and, thereby, avoid a winner-takes-all scenario; stresses the importance of equipping the Commission with the right tools to maintain an up-to-date overview of swift developments on the digital market;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Calls on the Commission to conduct and complete all other pending cartel investigations carefully, and to do away with any market restrictions; calls for the proceedings to be speeded up so that results can be achieved within the next year; welcomes, therefore, the supplementary statement of objections sent by the Commission on the comparison shopping service; calls on the Commission to continue to examine determinedly all concerns identified in its investigations, including other areas of search bias, in order to guarantee a level playing field for all market players in the digital market;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that competition in the internet search and telecommunications sectors is essential, not only to drive innovation and investment in networks the digital economy but also to encourage affordable prices and choice of services for consumers; calls on the Commission, therefore, to safeguard competition in thisese sectors, including with regard to internet services and spectrum allocation;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the Commission's investigation into airline distribution, in particular around 'redistribution restrictions,' and calls on the Commission to tackle anti-competitive practices that may undermine European consumers' ability to use a variety of online channels, including metasearch comparison services and online travel agents, for the purposes of finding and comparing available flight ticket options;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to clarify the rules and procedures that apply to state aid in the financial sector by taking into account of the difference in timing between the recent rules in the banking sector on burden- sharing and those on the full bail- in; invites the Commission, together with the SRB and the SRM, to conduct a careful assessment of the transition period and to ensure that, in line with the requirements of the legislation, the new rules are implemented with the necessary proportionality and fairness; recalls at the same time that a strong and independent State aid control is necessary to protect the taxpayers that carry the burden of bank rescues, and to ensure that competition between banks in the internal market is not distorted; calls on the Commission and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to guarantee appropriate investor protection;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Welcomes the new Guidelines on State Aid to Airlines and Airports in the EU, as part of the Commission's State Aid Modernisation; calls on the Commission to urgently establish a similar set of rules for subsidised airlines operating from third countries to and from the EU in international agreements, in order to ensure fair competition between EU and third country carriers; calls on the Commission to urgently submit a proposal for the revision of EU Regulation 868/2004 for the protection against subsidisation and unfair pricing practices causing injury to Community air carriers in the supply of air services from countries not members of the European Community;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Is of the opinion that a better understanding is needed at local and national level as regards classification of illegal state aid; welcomes the Commission’s recent decisions clarifying which Member State public support measures can be carried out without a state aid assessment by the Commission; regards those decisions as providing helpful guidance for local and municipal projects, reducing administrative burden and at the same time increasing legal certainty;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Considers that it is a priority to ensure that State aid rules are adhered to when dealing with future banking crises, so that taxpayers are protected against the burden of bank rescues;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Recalls that according to the Deposit Guarantee Schemes Directive, the use of deposit guarantee schemes to prevent the failure of a credit institution should be carried out within a clearly defined framework and should in any event comply with State aid rules;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Calls on the Commission to open up competition in those Member States that have port and airport public networks, particularly if their management is monopolised by the central government or if they persistently generate public deficits; Encourages the Commission to investigate whether certain practices with regard to the imposition of specific hub airports – based on the terms of the over 1000 existing bilateral air services agreements signed by Member States with non-EU countries – are detrimental to fair competition between carriers and airports, and are against European consumers' interests;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Believes that the Commission should consider the possibility for state aid to banks to be linked to conditionality on credit to SMEs;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 e (new)
Paragraph 14 e (new)
14e. Understands that the analysis of State aid for banks must take place on a case-by-case basis, but recalls that Member States and banks must be treated equally when implementing the State aid rules;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to keep its cartel enforcement record strong and effective in all cases where it has sufficient evidence of infringement; welcomestakes note of last year’'s five decisions relating to a total of approximately EUR 365 million in fines;, also calls, however, for extra vigilance regarding airlines’ ‘anti-competitives documented in the Commission staff working document accompanying its report on coomperatition practices’olicy 2015;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Considers that the existing rules relating to fines for infringements could be supplemented by on-going penalties against those responsible; Calls the Commission to consider the possibility to complement cartel fines with personal sanctions aimed at company decision makers, as well as individual penalties for those employees responsible for actually leading their company to commit a violation of competition law. The Commission should, thus, be able to impose measures such as director disqualifications or personal pecuniary sanctions when necessary.
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Welcomes the Commission’s recently launched consultation on certain procedural and legal aspects of EU merger control; calls on the Commission, in connection with the planned reform of the Merger Regulation, to examine carefully whether current assessment procedures take sufficient account of circumstances on digital markets and of the internationalisation of markets; considers that, above all within the digital economy, merger assessment criteria must be adapted;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls again on the Commission to verify carefully Member States’ transposition of Anti-Trust Damages Directive 2014/104/EU; points out that that directive must be properly transposed by 27 December 2016; deplores the fact that progress with transposition has been slow so far and that many Member States have not yet tabled draft legislation; calls on the Commission, as guardian of the Treaties, to remind Member States of their obligation;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Notes that the Commission has not been pursuing retail price maintenance cases for more than a decade. Yet it is quite obvious that, instead of disappearing, this sort of anticompetitive practices is expanding in certain sectors such as fast food: for a given brand a given product is everywhere at the same price, regardless whether the outlet is operated by the brand or by a licensee; Urges the Commission to start investigating retail price maintenance issues again;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Calls the Commission to investigate more thoroughly the effects of banking consolidation for competition; particularly, believes that it should be analysed taking into account the effects for credit in case of a new economic crisis;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Calls the Commission to propose measures to tear down existing regulatory barriers in the cross-border activities of the banking system and financial markets in order to deepen and make more effective the single market;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Calls the Commission to fully take into account the possible market distortions of trade agreements with third countries for the agricultural producers in Europe given their delicate financial situation and their fundamental role in our society; believes that the Commission should pay particular attention to those deals with countries that have notably less agricultural and health regulations than the EU;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes, in that connection, the consultation procedure launched by the Commission, which is likely to lead to a legislative proposal on strengthening the enforcement and sanctioning tools available to the national competition authorities, the so-called ECN+; Calls on the Commission to put forward a proposal for EU action to ensure that the national competition authorities are more effective enforcers, so that the full potential of the decentralised system of EU competition enforcement can be realised; calls for the European Parliament to be fully involved under the codecision procedure;
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Highlights the importance of global cooperation on competition enforcement; supports an active participation of the Commission and the national competition authorities in the International Competition Network;
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Considers that international trade and investment agreements should have a strong competition section;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Emphasises that international cooperation is essential in the age of globalisation; calls on the Commission, therefore, to foster closer international cooperation on competition-related issues; welcomes the agreement on the application of competition law recently concluded with Canada; takes the view the agreements such as these make a significant contribution to international cooperation;
Amendment 416 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 d (new)
Paragraph 25 d (new)
25d. Welcomes the Commission's more economic approach in competition law, also in the field of services of general economic interest (SGEI); shares the Commission's view that market failure is an inherent condition for the existence of a service of general economic interest; notes, however, the on-going debate in academic circles on what kind of market failure can justify a qualification as SGEI;
Amendment 419 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Believes that the independence of DG Competition is of the uttermost importance to achieve its goals in a successful manner. Calls the Commission to re-allocate sufficient financial and human resources to DG competition from other less priority or overcrowded services in order to cope with the growing number of important cases they have to deal with;
Amendment 420 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Amendment 421 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25c. Notes the growing revolving door problem around the Chief Economist Team (CETs) of EC's Directorate general for competition. Too many economists, including CETs themselves, end up working as consultants for dominant companies. It is concerned that this affects the objectivity of their appraisal of abuses of dominant positions while working for the EC. Ethical rules on CETs and their teams need to brought in line with practices for other EC officials. They also need to be properly monitored, including vis-à-vis CET economists who have already left the EC. Urges the Commission to remedy this situation as a matter of grave urgency.
Amendment 432 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses that Parliament should also be granted codecision powers in the field of competition policy, and regrets that this area of Union policy has not been strengthened in its democratic dimension in recent treaty amendments; calls for the treaties to be amended accordinglyfuture legislative acts which affect the internal market to be based on Article 114 TFEU, should no Treaty amendment be likely in the immediate future;
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and, the Commission, the national and where applicable regional competition authorities.