Procedure completed
2014/2158(INI) Annual report on EU Competition Policy
Lead committee dossier: ECON/8/00965
Legal Basis RoP 052
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | ECON | MESSERSCHMIDT Morten (ECR) | DE LANGE Esther (EPP), LANGEN Werner (EPP), SZANYI Tibor (S&D), TREMOSA I BALCELLS Ramon (ALDE), LÓPEZ BERMEJO Paloma (GUE/NGL), REIMON Michel (Verts/ALE) |
| Opinion | EMPL | ||
| Opinion | IMCO | KALLAS Kaja (ALDE) | |
| Opinion | ITRE | ||
| Opinion | JURI |
Legal Basis RoP 052
Subjects
Activites
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2015/03/10
Results of vote in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament
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T8-0051/2015
summary
The European Parliament adopted by 526 votes to 108, with 59 abstentions, a resolution on the Annual Report on EU Competition Policy. Parliament stressed the need to focus more on promoting competition for the achievement of the ambitious objectives for jobs, growth, investment and the global competitiveness of the European economy. It highlighted the essential role of competition policy enforcement in creating a level playing field that fosters innovation, productivity, job creation and investment by all players across the single market and across all business models, including SMEs. The Commission is called upon to: · enforce antitrust, state aid and merger control rules with a view to achieving a well-functioning internal market and social progress; · consider the social and labour impacts of its interventions in the field of state aid, especially in those regions with high levels of unemployment; · respect the needs of citizens, consumers and SMEs by placing their concerns at the centre of the decision-making process; · state clearly its concerns in the sphere of taxation and ensure that competition policy instruments must not be misused as a means of implementing tax measures. State aid and Services of General Economic Interest (SGEIs): Parliament reaffirmed the importance of the SGEI designation for universally accessible services that are of vital significance to European citizens, from healthcare to social security to housing provision. However, the Commission should ensure that compensation granted to SGEIs is compatible with EU state aid rules. Members reiterated that EU Structural Funds may not be used in a way that directly or indirectly supports the relocation of services or production to other Member States. Antitrust and cartels: each year losses of EUR 181-320 billion – approximately 3% of EU GDP – accrue owing to the existence of cartels. In order to increase the effectiveness of the penalty system, the Commission is called upon to: · assess the possibility of complementing cartel fines with individual sanctions such as individual fines and disqualification of directors; · put in place an institutional mechanism which would ensure that whenever a national authority takes an antitrust decision there would be an automatic follow-up check; · provide a comprehensive legal and economic assessment of antitrust and cartels cases, particularly in fast-moving markets. Merger control: the Commission is called upon to be attentive to those cases where just after a merger is cleared, consumer prices rise or there is a relevant reduction of a product’s quality. The report also called for much clearer definitions to be drawn up of the concepts of market share, market power and definition. Sector developments: Parliament made the following recommendations: · as regards energy and environment, competition policy should take account of the threefold objective of the affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply for the European economy and its competitiveness when addressing the current fragmentation of the market; · review existing competition law instruments in order to determine whether they meet the demands of the digital age; enforce properly both ex post and ex ante competition rules in order to prevent excessive market concentration and abuse of dominance; · analyse how to accommodate the rise of the sharing economy in the European legislation; companies related to the so-called sharing economy must pay taxes and comply with regulations in the same way as traditional businesses; · implement the new EU public procurement rules in a timely manner, including the provisions on criteria linked to the subject-matter of the contract, including social, environmental and innovative characteristics, and on e-administration, e-procurement; · maintain a close watch on the banking sector in order to enhance competition in European banking markets; return to the conventional application of state aid control as soon as this is viable for the banking sector; · strengthen the links between competition policy and transport policy in order to improve the competitiveness of the European transport sector and complete the implementation of the Single European Railway Area. On fiscal state aid, Parliament is concerned over possible illegal corporate tax practices in Member States. It called on the Commission to conclude its ongoing investigations into tax rulings as speedily as possible using all available evidence, notably in light of the publication of the ‘LuxLeaks’ documents. International dimension: the resolution called for the inclusion of a competition chapter, to include provisions covering antitrust, mergers, state-owned enterprises, subsidies and unequal market access, within the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement. Role of the European Parliament: the resolution considered that the fundamentals and key guidelines of competition policy should in future be drawn up and adopted in closer cooperation with Parliament in order to strengthen the democratic legitimation of the competition authority. Members called on the Commissioner to commit to frequent meetings with the relevant committees of Parliament, as well as with the Competition Working Group of Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Lastly, they considered that the European Parliament should have codecision powers in competition policy.
- 2015/03/09 Debate in Parliament
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2015/02/04
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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A8-0019/2015
summary
The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Morten MESSERSCHMIDT (ECR, DK) on the Annual Report on EU Competition Policy. The report stressed the fact that competition policy plays a key role in reinforcing the holistic approach to the single market aimed at to addressing Europe’s economic, social and environmental challenges. It highlighted the essential role of competition policy enforcement in creating a level playing field that fosters innovation, productivity, job creation and investment by all players across the single market and across all business models, including SMEs. The Commission is called upon to: · consider the social and labour impacts of its interventions in the field of state aid, especially in those regions with high levels of unemployment; · identify possible imbalances between Member States which could distort competition, as well as their causes and economic impact; · respect the needs of citizens, consumers and SMEs by placing their concerns at the centre of the decision-making process; · significantly widen and deepen its investigations into fiscal state aid, in light of the LuxLeaks revelations. State aid and Services of General Economic Interest (SGEIs): the report reaffirmed the importance of the SGEI designation for universally accessible services that are of vital significance to European citizens, from healthcare to social security to housing provision. However, the Commission should ensure that compensation granted to SGEIs is compatible with EU state aid rules. Antitrust and cartels: in order to increase the effectiveness of the penalty system, the Commission is called upon to: · assess the possibility of complementing cartel fines with individual sanctions such as individual fines and disqualification of directors; · put in place an institutional mechanism which would ensure that whenever a national authority takes an antitrust decision there would be an automatic follow-up check; · provide a comprehensive legal and economic assessment of antitrust and cartels cases, particularly in fast-moving markets. They called, in that connection, for details to be provided of the conditions subject to which parent companies that exercise a degree of influence over their subsidiaries can be held severally liable for breaches of antitrust law by the latter even if they themselves were not directly involved. Merger control: the Commission is called upon to be attentive to those cases where just after a merger is cleared, consumer prices rise or there is a relevant reduction of a product’s quality. The report also called for much clearer definitions to be drawn up of the concepts of market share, market power and definition. Sector developments: the report: · stressed that competition policy should take account of the threefold objective of the affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply for the European economy and its competitiveness when addressing the current fragmentation of the market; · recognised the role of competition policy in the pursuit of a Digital Single Market and called on the Commission to review existing competition law instruments in order to determine whether they meet the demands of the digital age; · called on the Commission to analyse how to accommodate the rise of the sharing economy in the European legislation; · invited the Member States to implement the new EU public procurement rules and the Commission to ensure their application; · highlighted the contribution of cartel enforcement to a more transparent financial services sector; it called for a swift end to the state aid crisis regime for the banking sector; · stressed the importance of conducting a thorough analysis of each Member State’s tax laws with a view to putting forward tax harmonisation measures which support SMEs and foster their growth and which ensure that Member States are competitive on world market; · called on the Commission and the Member States to ensure a level playing field which allows free but also fair competition in all transport modes; the Commission is invited to complete the implementation of the Single European Railway Area. International dimension: the report called for the inclusion of a competition chapter, to include provisions covering antitrust, mergers, state-owned enterprises, subsidies and unequal market access, within the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement. Role of the European Parliament: Members considered that the fundamentals and key guidelines of competition policy should in future be drawn up and adopted in closer cooperation with Parliament in order to strengthen the democratic legitimation of the competition authority. Members called on the Commissioner to commit to frequent meetings with the relevant committees of Parliament, as well as with the Competition Working Group of Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Lastly, they considered that the European Parliament should have codecision powers in competition policy.
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A8-0019/2015
summary
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2015/01/27
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
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2014/11/24
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
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2014/05/06
Non-legislative basic document published
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COM(2014)0249
summary
PURPOSE: presentation of the Commission Report on Competition Policy 2013. CONTENT: in its 2013, the Commission stressed that there have been encouraging signs that an economic recovery is underway in Europe. Moreover, the European Parliament’s 2013 study on competition policy concluded: “Competition plays a crucial role in promoting productivity and innovation as drivers of economic growth. This means that competition policy, which intensifies competition, will stimulate growth.” In 2013, all competition-enforcement instruments have contributed to promote growth and competitiveness across the European economy. Promoting competitiveness by fighting against cartels: antitrust enforcement has deterred and punished the artificial fragmentation of the internal market. Cartels often concern input and intermediate goods and the Commission has focused its enforcement efforts on this area. The Commission is currently dealing with a number of cases in the area of financial services. On 4 December, the Commission fined 8 banks a total of EUR 1 712 468 000 for participating in cartels in markets for financial derivatives covering the EEA. The Commission also has several ongoing cases in the food sector, an area of direct concern to consumers. In addition to those decisions, in April the Commission sent a Statement of Objections to a number of suppliers of smart-card chips for their alleged participation in a cartel. The Commission adopted an additional key initiative for the antitrust regulatory environment: the proposal for a Directive on how citizens and companies can claim damages when they are victims of infringements of the EU antitrust rules, such as cartels and abuses of a dominant market position. Furthermore, the Commission adopted a series of measures aiming to simplify mergers. State Aid Modernisation: State aid Modernisation has been developed to encourage the design of growth-enhancing public spending. In 2013, the main elements on which the Commission focused its work on were as follows: adoption of new Regional Aid guidelines for 2014-2020; revised guidelines for the application of EU State aid rules to the broadband sector; revised State Aid guidelines devoted to the promotion of risk-capital investments in SMEs; new State Aid guidelines on rescue and restructuring to support firms in temporary difficulties; revised State aid guidelines for research, development and innovation (R&D&I), with a view to adopting new rules in 2014; revised future State aid guidelines for energy and environment which should lead to the adoption of new rules in 2014. Strategic sectors: important decisions have been taken in sectors of strategic importance such as financial services, telecoms, the digital economy, and energy. In the financial sector: most of the efforts focused on: (i) focus on derivatives and benchmark rates, with a proposed draft Regulation to restore confidence in those benchmarks to ensure the integrity of benchmarks by guaranteeing that they are not subject to conflicts of interest; (ii) state aid in the banking sector, revamped based on the Banking Communication; (iii) the enforcement and regulatory efforts in the payments area, with the revised Payment Services Directive and the Proposal for a Regulation on interchange fees for card-based payments. In the energy sector: the measures to be taken aim to provide the EU with a common framework for energy, investing in infrastructure, increasing energy efficiency, and encouraging more efficient and better market-integrated aid to renewables. Competition is part of the policy mix that can address those challenges. In 2013, antitrust enforcement actions have contributed or will contribute in the future to curbing energy prices by combatting abusive or collusive behaviour leading to segmentation of markets and inefficient allocation of energy. In the digital sector: effective scrutiny of the behaviour of dominant firms, as well as quick reaction in case of abuses, is particularly important, since illegal practices may cause the early exit from the market of small and innovative competitors. The Commission sought to: (i) facilitate the dissemination of intellectual property and knowledge is also important in the digital industries; (ii) combine competition-policy instruments to address the challenges of fast-moving market; (iii) promote connectivity and tackling Single Market fragmentation in the telecoms sector; (iv) remove obstacles to innovation in the knowledge economy. International cooperation: international co-operation in competition policy-making and enforcement helped to tackle the challenges posed by the growing internationalisation of business. As encouraged by the European Parliament, the Commission continued to engage in multilateral and bilateral policy dialogues with the authorities in a number of other jurisdictions so as to promote convergence on both substantive and procedural competition rules.
- DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/competition/', 'title': 'Competition'}, VESTAGER Margrethe
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COM(2014)0249
summary
Documents
- Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2014)0249
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0019/2015
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T8-0051/2015
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 355 |
2014/2158(INI)
2014/12/08
IMCO
68 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that tackling the fragmentation of the digital single market and guaranteeing an open internet and net neutrality, in particular by prohibiting all discrimination and limitation of internet traffic, are essential to foster competition and boost growth and competitiveness in the digital sector;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that competition policy must benefit SMEs as well as consumers;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to enforce EU competition rules decisively in the online search market, based on input from all relevant stakeholders and taking into account the entire structure of the digital single market in order to ensure remedies that truly benefit consumers, internet users and online businesses; also calls on the Commission to closely evaluate the implementation
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to c
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to closely evaluate the implementation by Google of the binding commitments resulting from the agreement of February 2014; believes abusive dominant positions created by the so-called ‘first mover’ advantages and network effects in the digital sector should be more closely monitored; calls on an urgent cooperation between Member States for building European search engines in order not to face similar issues in the future and therefore get rid of Google dependence;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to c
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to closely evaluate the implementation by Google of the binding commitments resulting from the agreement of February 2014; believes abusive dominant positions created by the so-called ‘first mover’ advantages and network effects in the digital sector should be more closely monitored; underlines that all search engines, including those of companies established in third countries, must fully respect and comply with EU data protection rules
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that tackling the fragmentation of the digital single market and guaranteeing an open internet and net neutrality are essential to foster competition and boost growth and competitiveness in the digital sector; deems that the competition policy should contribute at promoting and enforcing open standards and interoperability in order to prevent technological lock-in of consumers and clients by a minority of market players
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to closely evaluate the implementation by Google of the binding commitments resulting from the agreement of February 2014; believes abusive dominant positions created by the so-called ‘first mover’ advantages and network effects in the digital sector should be more closely monitored and correspondingly regulated;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Emphasises in this respect that fair competition does not only mean that there should be no abuse of market power, but also that there should be a sufficient number of market players and that markets should remain open for new entrants. Therefore calls on the Commission to investigate the nature of existing entry barriers to key sectors of the digital single market;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Strongly welcomes the comments by Commissioner-designate Vestager in her hearing before the Parliament that free competition and protection against dominant positions in the digital economy is ultimately for the benefit of consumers; respects, however, the independence of the European Commission’s antitrust procedures and decisions on competition policy and complaints; asks all stakeholders to refrain from attempts to interfere with the decision-making system through political statements or other means;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Strongly welcomes the comments by Commissioner-designate Vestager in her hearing before the Parliament that free competition and protection against dominant positions in the digital economy is ultimately for the benefit of consumers; emphasises the need for more transparency from authorities in charge of implementing competition and data protection rules
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Strongly welcomes the comments by Commissioner-designate Vestager in her hearing before the Parliament that
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Strongly welcomes the comments by Commissioner-designate Vestager in her hearing before the Parliament that
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Highlights the importance of a thriving and competitive financial and services sector which would generate benefits and a wide range of choice for consumers;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that tackling the fragmentation of the digital single market and guaranteeing an open internet and net neutrality
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the Commission to examine the situation of independent retailers who nevertheless are allowed under competition law to work together through their brick-and-mortar shops, to also provide joint e-commerce offerings;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Considers that Union competition policy should not be detrimental to industrial policy; calls on the Union to promote the development of European industrial champions in growth- generating areas such as the digital sector and, to that end, to rethink the rules on state aid;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Believes that for media plurality on the internet, a certain internet presence by public broadcasters is both necessary and justified.
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Stresses the benefit of peer to peer services for consumers, while recognising the need to ensure that there is a level playing field between traditional and new digital offers;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Underlines the benefits of competition for consumers and therefore expresses disappointment regarding the impact which cartels have on consumer choice;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Expresses its concern with the current competition policies of the Commission, which require from companies to get permission for mergers that may distort the Single Market whereas companies who by themselves have developed an overly dominant market position are not normally affected by European competition policies, unless they abuse their market position;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 d (new) 3d. Is of the opinion that not only financial institutions but also industrial companies can become too big to fail, as was the case with General Motors, which had to be saved by the US government. Calls on the Commission to examine when companies become too big to fail and to consider which measures can be taken at national or EU level to prevent companies becoming dependent on future government bailouts;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on Member States to implement the new EU public procurement rules in a timely manner in order to boost fair competition and ensure best value for money for public authorities; urges the Commission to ensure their application to the fullest possible extent in order to tackle distortions of competition caused by bid- rigging, abuses of dominant positions and discrimination in the public procurement sector; calls on the Commission and the Member States to frame their action within a global framework by linking the Union’s competition policy within Europe with the defence of a level playing field for European companies in third countries; stresses, in this respect, the need to improve the openness of third countries’ public procurement procedures in accordance with the principle of reciprocity
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on Member States to implement the new EU public procurement rules in a timely manner in order to boost fair competition
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on Member States to implement the new EU public procurement rules with respect of each member state interests in a timely manner in order to boost fair competition and ensure best value for money for public authorities; urges the
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on Member States to implement the new EU public procurement rules in a timely manner in order to boost
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on Member States to implement the new EU public procurement rules in a timely manner in order to
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses the importance of detailed and clear guidance to businesses, particularly SMEs, and public authorities from the Commission to facilitate their understanding of the recently adopted public procurement legislation and, particularly, the new flexibilities it offers;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Underlines that pursuant to Art. 18 (2) of Directive 2014/24/EU Member States are obliged to take appropriate measures to ensure that in the performance of public contracts economic operators comply with applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour law established by Union law, national law, collective agreements or by the international environmental, social and labour law provisions listed in Directive 2014/24/EU;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Believes that the development of e- government, in particular electronic public procurement, is an important factor in supporting growth, including as regards the participation of SMEs; calls, therefore, on the Member States to use all the tools made available to them by the public procurement directive for promoting European growth, and calls on the Commission to support all initiatives connected with the development of e- government;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to carefully
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to carefully monitor the centralisation of purchases in public procurement markets
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Considers that the Commission should act to create and ensure a legislative and legally-certain environment conducive to encouraging creativity and innovation for start-ups, micro-enterprises and SMEs;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Believes that timely and adequate implementation of the Directive on antitrust damage actions is essential to evaluate its effect on access to legal action for SMEs
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that tackling the fragmentation of the digital single market and guaranteeing an open, free internet and legally-enshrined net neutrality are essential to
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Notes the continuing lack of clarity in many Member States over whether funding for European Consumer Centres is regarded as illegal state funding; is concerned that funding for such centres is being jeopardised as a result; calls on the Commission to inform the Member States as soon as possible about the need to provide notification of such funding in order to guarantee the continued support operations of the European Consumer Centres;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Welcomes the White Paper ‘Towards more effective merger control’ aimed at improving and simplifying procedures; Considers that effective tools to tackle distortions of competition are crucial for the functioning of the single market and ultimately benefit consumers ; Believes that whereas the acquisition of non- controlling minority shareholdings might in some cases be harmful to competition, the right balance should be found between tackling distortions of competition and creating undue burden on businesses;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Considers that the lack of competition in network industries requires a more coordinated approach between political and regulatory action, antitrust enforcement, and public and private infrastructure investment;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Considers that the lack of competition in network industries requires a more coordinated approach between political and regulatory action, antitrust enforcement, and private sector infrastructure investment;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 – point 1 (new) (1) Calls on the Commission, when conducting public procurement procedures through its Directorates- General and Implementing Agencies, to award more low-value contracts and contracts above EUR 193 000, rather than almost exclusively using framework contracts, which constitute a barrier to opening the public procurement market to European SMEs as they only benefit large companies and consortiums located close to the decision-making centres.
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Welcomes the Commission’s plan to address the challenges which exist in the energy market; emphasises in this context the importance of competition; also emphasises that implementing the competition rules contributes to the sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Mastercard ruling of the CJEU of 11 September 2014, as well as the successful actions undertaken by the Commission to ensure that standardisation processes in the payments sector do not affect market entry and innovation
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Mastercard ruling of the CJEU of 11 September 2014, as well as the successful actions undertaken by the Commission to ensure that standardisation processes in the payments sector do not affect market entry and innovation; in this context, asks the Commission to accelerate the process of mapping standardisation work for mobile payments, while ensuring that any action taken does not exclude new entrants or favour dominant players and the regulatory framework is technologically neutral to facilitate future technological developments;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that tackling the fragmentation of the digital single market and guaranteeing an open internet and net neutrality are essential to increase consumer confidence and foster competition and boost growth and competitiveness in the digital sector;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises that the internal market dimension of competition policy, which is clear from the Treaty, and the importance of consumer protection in shaping competition policy require stronger cooperation between National Parliament’s Internal Market Committee and the
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises that the sin
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises th
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Reiterates that competitive Single Market is needed to boost growth and create quality jobs in Europe; stresses that competition policy is a key area in which Europe can further deliver for its citizens by making the single market more efficient;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Believes that swift actions by regulators and enforcement authorities against misleading and unfair practices are essential for implementation of competition and consumer protection policies
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Highlights that competition policy plays a key role in reinforcing the holistic approach to the Single Market to address Europe’s economic, social and environmental challenges; Calls on the Commission to effectively respect citizens’, consumers’ and SMEs’ needs by placing their concerns at the centre of the decision-making process so that competition policies proposed can provide added value for European citizens;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Welcomes the initiative of the Commission against international car rental companies to end practices preventing consumers from accessing best available prices on the basis of their country of residence; stresses that consumers should not be prevented from making use of the best available rate when purchasing goods or services within the Single market
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that tackling the fragmentation of the digital single market and guaranteeing an open internet and net neutrality are essential to foster competition and boost growth and competitiveness in the digital sector; Highlights the need for competition policy to be future proof and take into account new ways of selling online.
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that efforts to foster competition through the development of the Digital Single Market must at all times work in the interests of consumers, and that the rights enshrined in the EU Charter for fundamental rights must be fully protected in the digital domain;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Is convinced that personal data protection forms the basis of competition based on technical innovation and trust.
source: 544.281
2014/12/17
ECON
287 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 a (new) – having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), in particular article 3,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 12 Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Urges the Commission to assess the systemic risk posed to capital markets by assessing the complex interconnections of securitised finance through the overhang of un-burnable carbon. and potential risks within the financial market due to the increased exposure to climate change and the lack of investor information regarding this risk when choosing to invest. This creates an uneven playing field in the financial market for sustainable investments;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Notes that SGEIs represent a significant share of total service provision in Member States
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Notes that SGEIs represent a significant share of total service provision in Member States, and
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. (a) Notes that SGEIs represent a significant share of total service provision in Member States, and maintains that their more efficient provision can deliver significant gains; stresses the Commission’s responsibility to ensure that compensation granted to SGEIs is compatible with EU state aid rules;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Notes that SGEIs represent a significant share of total service provision in Member States
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Notes that SGEIs represent a significant share of total service provision in Member States, and maintains that their provision in a competition situation can be more efficient
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls for specific justification for all services exempted from scrutiny under the competition rules;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary action to counter the negative effects on competition resulting from tax avoidance and the lack of cross-border transparency; calls for investigations into tax cuts which might constitute illegal state aid to be given priority; emphasises that fairer tax competition is indispensable for the integrity of the internal market, the viability of public finances and equal competition conditions;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Believes that further investigation should be given to sports clubs (particularly in football) who owe millionary sums to social security without paying them or be reclaimed by government, as de facto this may constitute state aid;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Reiterates that EU Structural Funds may not be used in a way that directly or indirectly supports the relocation of services or production to other Member States;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Stresses the advisability of assessing the cumulative effects of corporate taxation and state aid;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Considers the work on the Directive on Damages Claims to be the template for future interinstitutional cooperation in competition matters;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Calls on the Commission to carefully monitor the implementation of this directive by the Member States and ensure that its provisions are applied uniformly throughout the EU;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Stresses the need for measures to prevent the danger of over-compensation in antitrust damages claims; calls on the Commission to give as much consideration, when fines are being set, as national competition authorities to compensation which has already been paid;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Reiterates its concern that the use of fines as the sole sanction available may
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Reiterates its concern that the use of fines as the sole sanction available may be too limited, even though the fines imposed in the lasts years appear minimal in comparison with the harm caused to the European economy by collusion; calls again for the development of more sophisticated instruments; invites the Commission to consider a general review of its 2006 Fining Guidelines;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Urges the Commission to increase the effectiveness of the penalty system, and assess the opportunity of introducing individual sanctions such as individual fines and directors disqualifications, against companies and their executives;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Stresses that imposing fines is an important tool for competition policy and that quick action is needed for the success of investigations; believes that legal certainty is crucial, and calls on the Commission to incorporate the rules on fines into a legislative instrument;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. 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 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 c (new) 8c. Calls for the creation of special cross- DG taskforces envisaged to monitor sectors in which structural features (such as high barriers to entry or high customer switching costs) make antitrust violations more likely;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 17 Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 d (new) 8d. Calls the Commission to help to put in place an institutional mechanism that each time that a national authority takes an antitrust decision, an automatic follow-up check where the Commission would survey if similar issues affect different geographic markets throughout Europe where the sanctioned companies are also active;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 e (new) 8e. Supports the ongoing cooperation within the European Competition Network (ECN) which allows EU-wide coherence of public enforcement of competition rules and encourages its further development;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls for clear guidelines on timetables, deadlines and formal rights for all implicated parties in antitrust and cartel cases
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls for c
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls for
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls for clear guidelines on timetables
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Considers that work on the regulation on financial indices needs to be fast- tracked, as the new regulation’s provisions will make for greater transparency and prevent new forms of manipulation based on anti-competitive practices agreed between financial entities;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls for the extension of competition policy to private monopsonies and their restrictive practices on competition from the demand-side; regrets the inactivity of the Commission against such practices in agriculture or industrial out-sourcing, amongst other sectors;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls for a comprehensive legal and economic assessment of antitrust and cartels cases, particularly in fast-moving markets, in order to have a clear understanding of the market structure and market trends in order to take appropriate measures to protect consumers;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Notes that competition policy should be focused particularly on protecting consumers, improving consumer welfare, fostering innovation and stimulating economic growth;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Repeats its call for the provisions on the guidelines on setting fines to be integrated into Regulation 1/2003;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Reiterates the call for a review of the Commission guidelines on the setting of fines, in which connection steps should be taken to ensure that companies which break the law do not suffer negative repercussions which go beyond proportionate redress for the offence committed; calls for compensation payments already made to third parties to be taken into account when fines are set;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 c (new) 9c. Emphasises that companies which break the law should be encouraged to settle damages claims out of court before a final decision on the penalty to be imposed on them is taken;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 d (new) 9d. Calls, in that connection, for details to be provided of the conditions subject to which parent companies that exercise a degree of influence over their subsidiaries can be held severally liable for breaches of anti-trust law by the latter even if they themselves were not directly involved;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 e (new) 9e. Reiterates, with regard to repeat offenders, the call for a clear link to be established between the breach of the law which is being investigated and past breaches committed by the undertaking concerned;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 f (new) 9f. Notes that the number of requests for fine reduction on account of an inability to pay has increased, particularly from ‘mono-product’ undertakings and SMEs; emphasises the need to revise the guidelines on the setting of fines to take account of the particular circumstances of ‘mono-product’ undertakings and SMEs;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 g (new) 9g. Takes the view that market dominance achieved by means of expansion, innovation and success is not in itself a competition problem; regards the abuse of a dominant market position, conversely, as a serious competition problem; calls on the Commission, therefore, to continue to safeguard the impartiality and objectivity of competition-related proceedings;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 h (new) 9h. Calls on the Commission determinedly to address all the matters brought to light in current anti-trust law investigations and to take any measures required to put an end to damaging practices and restore fair competition;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Agrees that effective merger control is an important instrument for competition enforcement since it contributes to the maintenance of competitive pressure on market participants; regrets the erratic action of the Commission in this field, which has not limited the process of accumulation in big firms;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Believes that merger control should be able to take into account in its analysis if there may be negative spill- overs in terms of work-force lay-offs;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 19 Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10b. Calls the Commission to be attentive to those cases where just after a merger is cleared, consumer prices rise or there is a relevant reduction of a product’s quality;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Welcomes the Commission’s ‘merger simplification’ proposal of 5 December 2013 and
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Agrees that effective merger control is an important instrument for the enforcement rules, since it helps to maintain competitive pressure on market participants;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Emphasises the need for a review to determine whether current merger control practice takes account of the internationalisation of markets, in particular as regards the geographical definition of markets; considers that the Commission should take account of the findings of such a review when overhauling the rules on merger control;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11c. Calls on the Commission to check carefully whether there are in fact loopholes in its powers to scrutinise non- controlling minority shareholdings;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses the importance of affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply; considers
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses the importance of affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses the importance of affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply; considers competition policy to be of vital importance in encouraging unbundling and addressing the current fragmentation of the market;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses the importance of affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply; considers that competition policy
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses the importance of affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply are crucial to the European economy and its competitiveness; considers competition policy to be of vital importance in en
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 20 Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses the importance of affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply; considers competition policy to be of vital importance in encouraging the unbundling
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses the importance of affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply; considers competition policy to be of vital importance in encouraging unbundling
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses the importance of affordability, sustainability and security of energy supply; considers competition policy to be of vital importance in encouraging unbundling and addressing the current fragmentation of the market and of encouraging investment ; stresses that the regulation of state aid in this field must be carried out in the same spirit as in any other and by taking into consideration national diversities;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Calls on the competition authorities to provide a justification on the basis of sustainability criteria for the recent decisions concerning state aid in Germany (renewable energy) and the United Kingdom (nuclear energy);
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Stresses the importance to avoid monopolistic practices in order to achieve a fully fair and competitive European energy market, in this regard calls for the elimination of monopolistic suppliers and discriminatory practices on users. The European gas market shall tend to an Energy Union with fair and stable prices by improving the diversification of its energy sources and access to strategic infrastructures;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Regrets the measures adopted by certain Member States against renewable energy, which benefit vested private interests against the development of an efficient and clean energy supply;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Calls on the Commission to investigate and take the necessary steps to ensure that existing electricity interconnectors are made fully available for the power market by the transmission system operators (TSOs) in order to enhance the function of the internal electricity market and in order to support the fulfilment of the EU 2030 targets for climate and energy at lowest possible socioeconomic cost at EU-level;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Urges the Commission to provide reporting of fossil fuel reserve and potential CO2 emissions by listed companies and those applying for listing within the single market. To make correct and reliable environmental reporting by aggregate and publish the levels of reserves and emission using appropriate accounting guidelines is essential to assure a level playing field in the sustainable investment market;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Calls on the Commission to examine the extent to which the concentration of critical raw materials suppliers may create an uneven playing field and be harmful to the activity of client sectors and more eco- efficient economy. This hence some of these are of paramount importance for the deployment of eco-efficient technologies and innovations needed to achieve environmental goals;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 c (new) 12c. Reiterates that the Competition Policy should contribute at promoting transparency, open standards and interoperability in order to prevent technological lock-in of consumers and clients by any market players in the energy sector: urges the Commission to closely monitor the level of competition since the three largest players still represent about 75 % in the electricity market and above 60% in the gas market, despite the gradually opening of markets since the mid 1990s and calls on the Commission to assure proper competition in the energy market in order to improve State support to innovation and access to renewable energy sources;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 22 Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Underlines that the fall of wholesale prices (oil prices in particular) have not been translated into a reduction in the energy element of retail consumer prices and believes that high levels of market concentration undermine competition, as well as universal retail price regulation;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Believes that the Commission needs to be strict with the introduction of energy market reforms to reduce its prices, particularly in those Member States under the excessive deficit procedure;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 c (new) 12c. Calls the Commission to investigate if there is any kind of relationship between a high presence of politicians and former ministers in the governing boards of energy companies, and oligopolistic practices in the energy sector in some Member States;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 d (new) 12d. Asks the Commission to ensure that energy regulations and directives are transposed and applied correctly in all Member States; calls on the Commission to be particularly vigilant when prices reach above the EU-average, as high prices distort competition and harm consumers;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Asks the Commission to focus on mobilising competition policy tools and market expertise so that they contribute, as appropriate, to the jobs and growth agenda, including in area of the digital single market, in this context, finds it important to keep developing an economic as well as a legal approach to the assessment of competition issues and to further develop market monitoring in support of the broader activities of the Commission;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Recognises the role of competition policy in the pursuit of a digital single market; believes that the
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Recognises the role of competition policy in the pursuit of a digital single market; believes that the priorities set out in the report ‘Priorities towards a Digital Single Market in the Baltic Sea Region’
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Takes the view that the problems linked to Google’s excessive market power, in particular the preference it gives to its own services in search results, have thus far not been properly addressed and need to be resolved quickly;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Calls on the Commission to review existing competition-law instruments in order to determine whether they meet the demands of the digital age;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13b. Calls on the Commission to seek to enforce competition law and secure compliance with the principle of non- discrimination, in particular on the search-engine market; deplores the fact that even after four years the investigations against Google have yet to produce any tangible results and that Google is continuing to abuse its dominant market position; calls on the Commission, therefore, to take action to ensure that ongoing breaches of the law are halted quickly;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 23 Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Urges the Commission to take the lead in progressing fair competition in the digital market through procurement of Free Software and Open Standards in ICT and Media solutions for the EU institution; stresses for trust and security reasons the European IT capacity should be based on Free Software and Open Standards, making the whole supply chain, from processor design to application layer, transparent and reviewable;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13b. Invites the Commission to develop an enforceable legal standard to secure ‘net neutrality’ by establishing EU-wide rules on transparency, switching and traffic management on Internet; to ensure a public free and open Internet infrastructure not favouring data and securing all websites´ content are delivered to all users at the same speed; by preserving wired and wireless networks as an open public platform for innovation and expression, providing certainty and predictability in its marketplace; to oversee the public interest standard ensuring the Internet remains as the engine of free expression, innovation, economic growth and sustainable digital job opportunities enhancing neutral competition by equal access;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Believes that Digital Single Market must be ensured in the heart of the EU’s efforts to achieve results in the objectives of job creation, growth and investment;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13b. Underlines that in next generation broadband the former monopolies have a staggering over 80% market share. Recalls that effective competition is the best driver of efficient investments and provides maximum consumer benefit in terms of choice, price and quality. Therefore calls on the European Commission to enforce properly EU competition rules both ex-post and ex- ante in order to prevent excessive market concentration and abuse of dominance, as competitive pressure is key to ensure that consumers can benefit the most from high quality services at affordable prices;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 c (new) 13c. Stresses that limiting competition is unlikely to lead to more broadband investments, even in remote areas, as full coverage of basic broadband services has been achieved in Europe through a regulatory framework ensuring access to dominant operators’ networks;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 d (new) 13d. Investment in next generation broadband infrastructure is clearly core to achieving a digital economy and society, but in order to maximise investments, telecoms policies should enable all players to make efficient investments by providing them with effective access to non- duplicable networks assets and fit for purpose wholesale access products;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 e (new) 13e. Calls on the European Commission to base its decisions and policy proposals on a thorough and impartial analysis of correct, relevant and independent datasets. In particular highlights doubts about the correctness of data presented on the EU’s underperformance in high speed broadband including speeds received by end-users, infrastructure investments and the financial state of the sector in a global comparison;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Recalls that net neutrality is of the uttermost importance to ensure that there is no discrimination between internet services and competition is fully guaranteed;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13b. Welcomes the announcement by the Commissioner for competition of further investigations by the European Commission into Google’s anticompetitive practices in the mobile sector and in the digital market in general;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 c (new) 13c. Considers that throughout the past four years of negotiations between the European Commission and Google none of the three sets of commitment proposals from Google has succeeded to solve the main competition concern – the anti- competitive preferential treatment of own services within Google’s market dominant search engine thereby causing a traffic diversion away from rival verticals; believes that carrying on this route would further increase the caused damages;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 26 Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 d (new) 13d. Stresses the need for the European Commission to urgently solve the Google Antitrust case if it wants to remain credible in its Digital agenda strategy; urges the Commission to act decisively on all concerns that have been identified, and, as a priority, to take all the necessary measures to ensure fair competition in the online search and search advertising markets, given dominance of certain actor, and the possible abuse of this dominance calls on the European Commission and the Members States to take stronger measures against such abuses in the fast moving and dynamic digital market both on the national and European level;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 e (new) 13e. Urges the Commission to act decisively on all concerns that have been identified, and, as a priority, to take all the necessary measures to ensure fair competition in the online search and search advertising markets, given Google’s growing dominance, with a market share of over 90 % in most Member States, Google has become de facto gatekeeper to the internet. Its persistent abuse of this dominance requires a decisive enforcement of EU competition rules, taking into account input from all relevant stakeholders and the entire structure of the Digital Single Market;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 f (new) 13f. Stresses the need for the European Commission to urgently solve the Google Antitrust case if it wants to remain credible in its Digital agenda strategy; urges the Commission to act decisively on all concerns that have been identified, and, as a priority, to take all the necessary measures to ensure fair competition in the online search and search advertising markets, given dominance of certain actor, and the possible abuse of this dominance calls on the European Commission and the Members States to take stronger measures against such abuses in the fast moving and dynamic digital market both on the national and European level;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 g (new) 13g. Calls the Commission to launch an investigation on the ridesharing companies to ensure that their practices are not distortions competition in the market;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 g (new) 13g. Calls for the Commission to analyse how to accommodate into the European legislation the rise of the sharing economy and believes that it should be adapted, in order to have level-playing field that ensures fair competition among all actors involved;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 a (new) Believes that companies related to the so- called sharing economy have to pay taxes and comply with regulations in the same way as traditional businesses, as otherwise it would not only constitute a distortion in competition, but also would have negative fiscal consequences for the finances of Member States.
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 i (new) 13i. Calls on the Commission to act quickly against Google and carefully consider and evaluate the following proposals of remedies in view of a long- term solution towards a balance, fair and open internet search structure: - ‘Rotation mechanism’ pursuant to which Google’s and competing verticals would be displayed in the same location and with the same prominence on the search results page; - a new legislation to regulate search engines; - The Statement of objections decision and the threat of a fine
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 j (new) 13j. Highlights that effective scrutiny of the behaviour of dominant firms, as well as quick reaction in case of abuses, is particularly important, since illegal practices may cause the early exit from the market of small and innovative competitors;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 k (new) 13k. Notes that lack of regulation in the sharing economy, gives some companies an unfair advantage, while at the same time decreases incentives for investment in those sectors concerned;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 41 a (new) – having regard to the Statement by the Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager on tax state aid investigations of 6 November 2014,
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14.
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls on the Commission to closely monitor the financial sector to enhance competition, investor and consumer protection in the European banking and investment market. The consolidation in the banking sector has increased the market share of several financial institutions to grow bigger than pre-crisis level, and the financial investment industry have grown simultaneously without any gain to the real economy within the Union. This to maintain a fully functioning single market, a level playing field for actors in the financial industry and to avoid decreased transparency and cartel-like constructions to develop;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Acknowledges the important role played by State aid control since the beginning of the crisis as a restructuring and resolution mechanism for distressed banks;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Believes that the Commission should consider the possibility for state aid to banks to be linked to conditionality on credit to SMEs;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 c (new) Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 d (new) 14d. Believes that State aid control during the crisis should focus both on stabilising the banking system and on tackling unfair segmentation of the credit conditions and discrimination of SMEs in the single market;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 e (new) 14e. Urges the Commission to monitor closely those markets in the banking sector where concentration is high or growing, in particular as a result of restructuring in response to the crisis; recalls that oligopolistic markets are particularly prone to anticompetitive practices; fears that this concentration may ultimately harm consumers;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 f (new) 14f. Urges the Commission to make sure that banks, before they receive any State aid, sell their stakes in other companies, thereby reducing the burden for the taxpayer;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 g (new) 14g. Calls the Commission to follow closely the conditions to be proposed by the ECB to give new banking licenses to ensure that creates a level playing field without high barriers of entrance to the market. Strongly believes that given the high concentration in the banking sector of some Member States, a higher number of banking entities would be good for consumers and SMEs;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 – having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in particular Articles 14 and 101- 109 thereof, the annexed Protocol (No 26) on Services of General Interest and the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular Articles 34 and 36,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 41 a (new) Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Believes that the externalities of developments in this sector should be carefully monitored;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Believes that the externalities of developments in this sector should be carefully monitored; expresses its concern at the development of different standards among equal competitors as a consequence
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes the considerable
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes the considerable advances that have been made in EU banking regulation
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes the considerable advances that have been made in EU banking regulation since 2008, and particularly in 201
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes the c
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Stresses the importance of conducting a thorough analysis of each Member Stateʼs tax laws with a view to putting forward, in accordance with competition rules and in the context of globalisation, tax harmonisation measures which support SMEs and foster their growth and which ensure that Member States are competitive on world markets;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Considers that special attention must be paid to the fragmentation of the electronic card payments market, including problems such as loss of service when consumers move to another Member State;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Expresses concern that several of the new regulatory requirements and proposals may cause financial institutions to refrain from entering or providing specific financial services;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Expresses concern that new regulatory measures regarding prices and demands for certain product features in relation to consumer products such as bank accounts will limit competition and innovation;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 41 b (new) – having regard to the European Commission’s 2014 Digital Scoreboard,
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 7 a (new) Taxation Expresses concern over possible illegal corporate tax practices in Member States and calls on the Commission to step up investigations into such possible practices using all available evidence;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Calls on the Commission, in its upcoming review of the CAP reform, to investigate cofinancing for transferred funds
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Calls on the Commission, in its upcoming review of the CAP reform, to investigate cofinancing for transferred funds, ensure simplification of EFA
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Is concerned that the food prices have significantly increased in the recent years while some Member States also burden the food with excessive and increasing VAT; recalling that consumer food prices make a major contribution to overall inflation; calls on the Commission to make specific proposals to approach the Member States’ VAT rates on food, in order to also avoid distortion of competition;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on the Commission, following its recent review into the economic impact of modern retail on choice and innovation in the EU food sector, to consider the potential impact of large supermarkets dominating the market to such an extent that their collective buying power distorts competition among supply chains, both in Europe and the developing world;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Draws the attention of the Commission to monopsonistic practices in the agricultural sector, which force prices below the cost of production for many small agricultural producers;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Notes that this sector is fragmented owing to national regulation; welcomes the contribution of EU competition policy in tackling artificial barriers to entry, and reaffirms the importance of the SGEI designation for healthcare in particular;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls for special consideration to be given to innovative medicinal products and medical procedures when cases involving temporary price formation are assessed;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Notes that competition policy may play a role in improving access to generic pharmaceuticals;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Recognises the need in the transport sector for a level playing field which allows f
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19.
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Recognises the need in the transport sector for a level playing field which allows free but also fair competition; considers that in the scenario of market failure, government intervention in the form of State Aid can act as an essential factor in guaranteeing continued transport service; highlights that the transport sector is an essential part of the infrastructure that guarantees the survival and well-being of local residents and businesses, especially in sparsely populated regions and peripheral islands;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Recognises the need in the transport sector for a level playing field which allows free but also fair competition; acknowledges, however, in that connection, that proper account must also be taken of a multitude of specific national transport law provisions;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Urges the Commission to monitor closely State aid to accelerate developments in the transport sector not to provide unfair competition by supporting unsustainable projects or resulting in an uneven playing field among its actors, hampering the international commitment towards reaching environmental goals;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Believes that the Commission should further strengthen the links between competition policy and transport policy in order to improve the competitiveness of the European transport sector and has to continue to make progress towards completing the single market in transport;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Believes that the Commission should further strengthen the links between competition policy and transport policy to improve the competitiveness of the European transport sector;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Calls on the Commission and the Members States to increase their efforts in order to guarantee the opening of the railway transport sector to fair competition, as well as a better quality of services;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 c (new) 19c. 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;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas too many sectors within the single market remain divided by national borders and artificial barriers,
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 d (new) 19d. 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 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 e (new) 19e. Stresses that the single market in the rail freight sector is affected by incorrect or incomplete transposition of EU law by Member States and by bottlenecks to cross-border mobility that harm competition and growth; calls on the Commission to verify whether technical or market barriers that differ from one Member States to another, such as track gauges, energy supply and signalling systems, can be considered infringements of competition rules;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 f (new) 19f. Invites the Commission to provide a justified overview to ascertain which air carriers benefit from advantages over other service providers through special conditions or alleged abuses of their dominant position in certain airports;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 g (new) 19g. 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 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 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Expresses its concern at
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Expresses its concern at the abuse of cabotage regulation in road transport and at
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Expresses its concern at the abuse of cabotage regulation in road transport and at potential social dumping within various transport services, and believes these problems must be addressed; Expresses concern of differing implementation and enforcement by member states of the regulations related to international road transport, e.g. regulations on cabotage and driving and resting times and believes this must be addressed;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Expresses its concern at the abuse of cabotage regulation in road transport and at potential social dumping within various transport services, and believes these problems must be addressed, thereby putting an end to the difficult situations that unfair rules are causing in the road haulage sector;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Calls the Commission to take action in order to reduce fragmentation in the rent-a-car sector, as currently national regulations greatly increase the costs for trans-border movements, damaging thus the single market;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas too many sectors within the single market remain
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Stresses that efforts to encourage a competitive EU must at all times work in the public’s interest; recognises the relationship between an effective EU competition policy and the need for large scale investment in vital public services including transport services;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20b. Urges the Commission to look into the restrictive and abusive practices of international sport federations, such as denying their members the right to take part in alternative sport events that are not sanctioned by the respective federations and imposing on athletes, officials and coaches ban for life from participation in competitions such as Olympic Games and World Championships in case of non- compliance;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Supports the inclusion of a competition chapter within the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement, with provisions
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21.
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Supports the inclusion of a competition chapter, with provisions covering antitrust, mergers, state-owned enterprises
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Recognises and supports the need of the Commission to reinforce the role of competition policy in international economic cooperation also through the cooperation with competition agencies globally. Such regulatory and enforcement cooperation helps to ensure a level playing field for European companies active on global markets;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Emphasises that international cooperation is essential to the effective application of competition-law principles in the era of globalisation; calls on the Commission, therefore, to foster closer international cooperation on competition- related issues;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 b (new) 21b. Calls on the Commission to examine the scope for concluding with more third countries competition agreements which facilitate exchanges of information between investigating authorities; emphasises that in this regard the competition agreement recently concluded with Switzerland can serve as a model for future agreements of this kind;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas too many sectors within the single market remain divided by national borders and artificial barriers, while on the other hand important issues of subsidiary sustainable economic impact, e.g. social dumping or structural fund use, raise concerns and should be addressed within the framework of EU competition policy;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Notes that agreements such as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement or the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership alter competition in a way harmful to SMEs, public companies and social enterprises;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 b (new) 21b. Is concerned that the use of ISDS in free-trade agreements serves to remove democratic control of competition policy;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 c (new) 21c. Calls on the Commission to review the use of State Aid in third countries, the practice of social dumping and dominant position in world markets when assessing the need to take action against firms operating in the European market;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22.
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Highlights the fact that the Framework Agreement provides for equal treatment of Parliament and the Council in the preparation of legislation or soft law in the field of competition policy and that it is imperative that these provisions should be taken into account;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Highlights the fact that the Framework Agreement provides for equal treatment of Parliament and the Council regarding access to meetings and the provision of information in the preparation of legislation or soft law in the field of competition policy;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Highlights the essential role of the European Parliament in representing the interests of European consumers in the proper enforcement of competition rules;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Welcomes the role Parliament
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Welcomes Parliament’s role as co- legislator for the Directive on Antitrust Damages Actions, and regards the work on drawing up that directive as a model for future interinstitutional cooperation on competition-law issues;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Reiterates that in shaping competition policy the Commission must be fully accountable and must follow up Parliament’s resolutions;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24.
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Calls on the Commissioner to commit to frequent meetings with the relevant committee(s) of Parliament
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Considers that it should have co- decision powers in competition policy; regrets that Articles 103 and 109 TFEU provide only for consultation of Parliament; believes that this democratic deficit cannot be tolerated; proposes that this deficit be overcome as soon as possible through interinstitutional arrangements in the field of competition policy and corrected in the next Treaty change;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25.
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Welcomes the Commissioner for competition’s role in promoting the real economy, jobs and growth, as well as the digital single market, energy policy, financial services, industrial policy and the fight against tax evasion;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Urges the Commission to develop guidelines and procedures within the framework of the ECN, ensuring efficient oversight of the compliance of Member States’ tax rulings with state aid rules;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to an effective enforcement of competition rules in the areas of antitrust and cartels, mergers and state aid, maintaining competition instruments aligned with market developments
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Calls the Commission to fully investigate if the use of tax ruling as unveiled by the LuxLeaks case constitutes a form of illegal state aid and if this is an existing situation in other Member States;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 b (new) 26b. Hopes that in order to ensure that the investigation on the LuxLeaks case is perceived as neutral by the European public, the President of the Commission should recuse himself from taking part into the final decision of the Commission regarding the legality of the tax rulings, avoiding any kind of conflict of interests;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas too many sectors within the single market remain divided by national borders and artificial barriers, while on the
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 c (new) 26c. Whereas the massive avoidance of taxes by some enterprises distorts competition in the single market;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 d (new) 26d. Believes that the Commission should propose a convergence code with tax ranges that would avoid extreme cases, as well as increase efforts to introduce the Common Corporate Consolidated Tax Base. Moreover, a country-by country compulsory reporting should be imposed in all multinational companies. These measures would ensure tax competition among Member States and at the same time create a level-playing field for all European enterprises;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Calls on the Commission to conclude its ongoing investigations into tax rulings as speedily as possible; at the same time to consider the wider implications for competition of aggressive tax avoidance practices undertaken by companies and encouraged by states; and to investigate the possibility that current tax practices across the Union are in fact inherently anti-competitive and damaging to the Single Market;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Calls on the Commission to assess its handling and timing of recent antitrust cases and address the formalistic concerns which have been raised;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Calls on the Commission to draw up coordinated proposals on tax competition and to submit them to the Council;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Calls on the Commission to continue reporting to Parliament, on an annual basis, on developments and effects in the application of competition policy;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Urges the Commission to combat tax rulings and tax evasion through Competition Policy in the EU and reticent Member States with mandatory rules on tax transparency by country-by-country reporting through a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB); and to accompany the proposal with a European Minimum Corporate Tax Rate to prevent aggressive tax avoidance and legal comfort hunting resulting in uneven competition within the national market or the single market for corporate companies operating in the same sectors;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 b (new) 27b. Calls on the Commission to legally assess if abandoning national tax-level by the national governments in Member States to some actors distort competition in the segments areas. Additionally, weather yielding Member States are in breach of their Treaty obligations at the expense of other EU countries by this practice. This hence the practice reduces their national GDP and thereby reduces their obligated financial contributions as Member States in accordance to Treaty agreements;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Welcomes the commitments made by the incoming Commissioner during her hearing, in particular as regards the future strengthening of relations with and the closer involvement of Parliament;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas competition policy is in itself a means of safeguarding European democracy, in that it prevents the over- concentration of economic and financial power in the hands of a few, which would undermine the ability of Europe’s political authorities to act independently of major industrial and banking groups;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Welcomes the commitments made by the incoming Commissioner during her hearing, in particular as regards future cooperation with Parliament;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Highlights the publication of the so- called ‘LuxLeaks’ documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists; welcomes the commitment of the Commissioner for Competition to thoroughly and independently investigate Member States’ tax rulings practices and their compliance with EU competition law; encourages the Commission to vigilantly enforce EU state aid control rules;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 b (new) 28b. Calls on the Commission President to ensure the independence of the on-going and future investigations of Member States’ tax ruling practices led by the Commissioner for Competition; insists that the European Parliament be kept fully informed of the progress of the investigations and of the means to ensure they are being conducted in a transparent and independent manner; calls on the Commission to present a report on its findings as soon as possible; recalls the commitment made by the Commissioner for Competition to extend her investigation should this be deemed necessary once the facts have been collected;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Calls on the Commission to do more to promote an active competition policy as a pillar of the social market economy;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 b (new) 28b. Takes the view that a scoreboard in the form of a casebook should be made available promptly to consumers and undertakings;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 c (new) 28c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the authorities at all political levels undertake to comply to the letter with the rules on state aid;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 d (new) 28d. Calls for a joint body, bringing together representatives of Parliament, the Council and the Commission and academics, to be set up to analyse long- term trends in and the future development of competition policy in future-oriented sectors such as the digital economy or the energy sector;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 e (new) 28e. Calls for an uncompromising analysis of what constitutes responsible national tax policy, in particular as regards unfair tax policies and tax arrangements and exemptions which distort competition, so that effective action can be taken against such practices in the future;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas competition rules should apply to any economic activity, including sports, performing arts and culture;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 – having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. Believes that competition policy is a driver of economic growth and job creation, especially in crisis times;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. Agrees therefore with the Commission that the crisis should not be a pretext to relax the enforcement of competition rules;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A c (new) Ac. whereas by triggering a misallocation of resources, lack of competition may therefore imply less economic benefits to be divided between sellers and buyers;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A d (new) Ad. whereas competition raises companies’ productivity, by raising managers’ incentives to out-perform competitors and, therefore, is often associated with higher levels of total factor productivity;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas competition policy is an essential tool to enable the EU to have a dynamic, efficient, sustainable and innovative internal market and to be competitive on the global stage, as well as to overcome the financial crisis;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas competition policy is an essential tool to enable the EU to have a dynamic, efficient and innovative internal market and to be competitive on the global stage, as well as to overcome the economic and financial crisis;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas competition policy is a
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas competition policy is an essential tool to enable the EU to have a dynamic, efficient and innovative internal market and to be competitive on the global stage
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas competition policy based on a level playing field in all sectors is a cornerstone of the European social market economy, and a key factor in ensuring the proper functioning of the internal market;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas each year losses of EUR 181- 320 billion – approximately 3 % of EU GDP – accrue owing to the existence of cartels;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 – having regard to the
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas the equivalent of EUR 1.6 trillion was granted in State aid to banks in the EU in the period 2008 until the end of 2011;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B c (new) Bc. whereas tax evasion, tax fraud and tax havens are costing the EU taxpayers an estimated 1 trillion euros per year in lost revenue, distorting competition in the single market between those companies who pay taxes and those who do not;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas European citizens want a high- quality and
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the strict application of the principles of competition law is primarily to the benefit of the consumer;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas in terms of energy costs the European single market performs worse than the US, with a price dispersion of 31 percent compared to 22 percent in the US;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas the creation of a ‘single market administration passport’ would reduce distortions in competition and the fragmentation of the single market, enhancing the growth potential of the European economy;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the successful development of SMEs
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the successful development of SMEs under conditions of free competition is one of the most essential preconditions for job creation, sustainable growth and investment;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the successful development of SMEs under conditions of free competition is one of the most essential preconditions for job creation, growth, innovation and investment;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the publication of the so- called ‘LuxLeaks’ documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists calls for a thorough and independent investigation of Member States’ tax rulings practices and their compliance with EU state aid control rules;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas competition policy must be subordinated to the goals of sustainable growth and social cohesion;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas competition does not operate in an equally satisfactory manner in all Member States;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) Db. whereas the free movement of goods, services, persons and capital has been essential for European growth;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas in many Member States a severe credit crunch is affecting SMEs, which represent 98% of the EU firms;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) Db. whereas uncovered cartels’ duration fluctuates between 6 to 14 years from their commencement affecting the economy with a higher burden on customers and ultimately on consumers;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D c (new) Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D d (new) Dd. Welcomes the EU unitary patent as a step forward to complete the single market and calls on all Member States to participate in it;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 a (new) Believes that the independence of DG Competition is of the uttermost importance to achieve its goals in a successful manner.
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Highlights the
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Highlights the essential role of competition policy enforcement in productivity and innovation, creating a level playing field across the single market
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Highlights the essential role of competition
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Highlights the essential role of competition policy enforcement in productivity and innovation, creating a level playing field across the single market and across all business models, including SMEs, in full respect of national diversities;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Highlights the essential role of competition policy enforcement in productivity and innovation, creating a level playing field, which fosters innovation and investments by all players across the single market in full respect of national diversities;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls on the Commission to assess the effect of the restrictive scope exemptions to State aid rules in the field of social housing; limiting it to disadvantaged citizens or socially less advantaged groups; calls on the Commission to focus towards Member States that experience difficulties with their social housing sector because of this restriction;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Takes the view that ensuring a level- playing field for companies in the internal market also depends on combating social dumping, which should be regarded as an anticompetitive practice;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Welcomes the fact that the EU’s economic dimension in the Treaties is established as an ‘open market economy with free competition’;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out that one of the goals of competition policy is to foster the creation and development of firms and SMEs, as these represent a source of growth and jobs in Europe;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Stresses the need to take appropriate competition and tax measures to help European industrial groups and SMEs cope with globalisation;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Highlights that reinforced focus on promoting competition is necessary for the achievement of the ambitious objectives on jobs, growth, investments and the global competitiveness of the European economy as it is sustainable and effective competition that drives investments, end-user benefits and fuels the economy;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Emphasises that better access for SMEs - which are the main job creators - and the related participation in the internal market call for an active competition policy that will remove existing barriers;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Stresses that competition policy is a cornerstone of the European social market economy; asks the Commission to enforce antitrust, state aid and merger control rules in order to achieve a well- functioning internal market and social progress;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Calls on the Commission to identify possible imbalances between Member States in the field of distortions in the functioning of competition, as well as their causes and their economic impact;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Urges the Commission to maintain a close watch on the banking sector in order to enhance competition in European banking markets, thereby maximising the benefits to Union citizens;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 f (new) 1f. Stresses that alongside corruption, state capture represents a distortion of competition that the European Union has to combat;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Reiterates that the Commission
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Reiterates that the Commission
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Reiterates that the Commission could consider reallocation of resources from obsolete or underused budget lines towards DG Competition, in order to enable a more proactive stance; recommends in view of the LuxLeaks revelations in this regard in particular a reinforcement of DG Competition’s fiscal state aid unit;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Reiterates that the Commission must be provided with appropriate staff resources to significantly widen and deepen its investigations into fiscal state aid such as tax rulings and tax avoidance to give competition a sufficient proactive stance, and to have proficient legal resources to identify gaps that we have witnessed through the reveal of the targeted tax schemes practiced by various Member States in the Union;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Commission to consider the social and labour impacts of its interventions, especially in those regions with high levels of unemployment, integrating this analysis in its decisions;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Looks forward to the results of the Commission’s stocktaking exercise following a decade of Regulation 1/2003 on the implementation of the rules on competition law; calls on the Commission to take appropriate action to align the regulation with the new legal situation, particularly as a result of the adoption of the Directive on Damages Actions;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Reminds the Commission that the independence of national competition authorities in particular should be monitored closely;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Stresses that competition policy instruments must not be misused as a means of implementing tax measures; urges the Commission to state clearly its concerns in the sphere of taxation;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Takes the view that the fundamentals and key guidelines of competition policy should in future be drawn up and adopted in closer cooperation with Parliament in order to increase the democratic legitimation of the competition authority;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Welcomes the common approach taken in the process of state aid modernisation, with a view to promoting greater effectiveness in public spending against a background of limited budget margins, especially in the Member States that have been the most severely affected by the crisis;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Recognises that franchising is a good formula enabling independent retailers to survive in a highly competitive environment; condemns the practice, which imposes a more significant burden to the enterprises taking part of a franchise-system than to other enterprises;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Recognises that efficient implementation of competition policy requires coherent and consistent judicial interpretation;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Notes that the European Commission relies increasingly on commitment decisions. Believes that more transparency on the substance of allegations, and the establishment of a higher number of legal precedents, are however necessary. This applies in particular to cases that tackle antitrust issues in new areas, such as markets for digital goods, in which companies might find it difficult to assess if a certain behaviour constitutes a violation of competition rules;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Believes that in order to ensure greater transparency and mitigate some of the drawbacks of commitment decisions, while retaining their main benefits, the full detail of the objections addressed by the European Commission to defendants should be published;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls for the fourth consecutive time for a swift end to the state aid crisis regime for the banking sector; recognises that the Commission’s Banking Communication of August 2013 constitutes an important yet insufficient step to protect European taxpayers and limit the amount of aid that banks may receive, and thus contributes to breaking the link between
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls for the fourth consecutive time for a
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls for the fourth consecutive time for a swift end to the state aid crisis regime for the banking sector; recognises that the Commission’s Banking Communication of August 2013 constitutes an important yet insufficient and sadly ineffective step to protect European taxpayers and limit the amount of aid that banks may receive, and thus contributes to breaking the link between sovereigns and banks;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Underlines that State aid to the banking system has failed to increase credit or restore confidence, thus failing to meet the criteria of public interest;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Underlines the importance which should be given to taking into consideration social and environmental criteria in public procurement procedures;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Commission to assess State aid provided to the banking sector related to the reduction of the balance sheet composition , size and complexity; to keep a proper focus on the effect on retail lending to consumers and SME´s; monitor transparency on cost, fee structures and margins and how this effect the competition in the single market; to monitor the distribution of dividends, securitisation or reuse of assets and the banking sectors annual tax contributions; requesting that these conditions should be explicit, imperative as well as assessed and summarized on an ex post basis in the forthcoming annual Competition reports;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Calls on the Commission to tackle the flaws found in the pre-crisis legal system, in particular as regards the financial sector as well as to remedy distortions’ created over the financial and economic crisis; reiterates that the subsidised implicit guarantee from governments and central banks have resulted in gains to be privatised and losses socialised; and notes the need to ensure the functioning of the single market to benefit the real economy are in focus when banks are receiving State aid;
source: 544.265
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History
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