CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment & Economic Regulation (CUTS C-CIER)

On January 14, 2009 the Swiss Federal Government was presented with a Synthesis Report issued by the Taskforce Cartel Act, a panel formed during Winter 2006/2007 by the Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs to evaluate the ongoing effects and functioning of the Cartel Act. <<More>>

Big Banks Colluded for Years
Haaretz.com, April 28, 2009

Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, Israel Discount Bank, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank and the First International Bank (Beinleumi) colluded for years in restrictive trade practices by sharing information on bank fees. As pointed out by the Antitrust Commissioner, the banks colluded to increase their income from fees they charged customers and also shared the information so as to adjust their fees so as not to appear to be the most expensive bank in the fee rankings. <<More>>

Competition Authority’s Appeal Against District Court
KonKurransetilsynet.no, April 28, 2009

The Oslo district court’s judgment reversed the Norwegian Competition Authority's decision to impose an administrative fine of US$6.9mn on Tine BA for abuse of a dominant position and for cooperation that restricts competition. Thus, the Norwegian Competition Authority lodged an appeal to overturn the Oslo district court's judgment in the case. The appeal concerns both the assessment of the facts and the interpretation of the law. <<More>>

Irish Farmers Call for Watchdog
The Grocer, April 25, 2009

The Irish Competition Authority has been accused of damaging the Republic's food industry and producer livelihoods by refusing to accept a High Court ruling sanctioning the acquisition of Breeo Foods by the Kerry Group. The Irish Farmers' Association, which made the accusation, has also called on trade minister Mary Coughlan to order the authority to withdraw its Supreme Court appeal. <<More>>

Low Priced Flying
Low Priced Flying

Brazil's civil aviation authority (ANAC) has resolved that floor prices on international flights will be gradually phased out over the course of the next year. The decision allows airlines to charge up to 20 percent less than the government-established minimum, with the permissible discounts rising to 50 percent in July and 80 percent in October. <<More>>

Cooperation - No ‘grey zone’
Konkurrensverket, April 23, 2009

The Swedish Competition Authority is now launching a web-based guide on cooperation within trade organisations. Many enterprises are able to develop and become more efficient by exchanging experience and learning from one another, for instance within a trade organisation. But this kind of cooperation must never go so far as to distort competition, to the detriment of customers/consumers. <<More>>

Teething Troubles for Hungary's New Government
Expatica.com, April 22, 2009

Economy minister-to-be, Tamas Vahl, resigned because of his involvement in a price-fixing cartel in the past, a parliamentary committee announced. The new government of experts which Hungary hopes will steer it out of its deep economic crisis ran into trouble when the designated economy minister quit before he had even started. <<More>>

New Resources Announced to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels
Australia.TO, April 22, 2009

Deputy Attorney General David Ogden announced increased efforts and reallocation of Department of Justice (DoJ) personnel to combat Mexican drug cartels in the US and to help Mexican law enforcement battle cartels in their own country. Deputy Attorney General Ogden was joined in announcing a comprehensive response to the situation on the Southwest border by Department of Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano and Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg. <<More>>

Mexican Senator Seeks Tougher Antitrust Laws
TMCnet.com, April 14, 2009

A senator from Mexico's ruling National Action Party (PAN) is promoting a bill to strengthen the country's anti-trust laws. The bill promoted by Santiago Creel would be debated in the Trade and Industrial Development Committee of Mexican Senate. <<More>>

South Africa: Merger Thresholds 'May Be Problematic'
Allafrica.com, April 14, 2009

Increases to the thresholds for notifying the Competition Commission of mergers may be problematic, competition analysts say. "The problem is that not all industries are created equal," Geoff Parr, an economist at commercial law firm Deneys Reitz, said. <<More>>

Indian Competition Panel to Start Taking Cases
Live Mint, April 10, 2009

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) will soon start hearing complaints on anti-competitive activities, six years after it was mooted by the Indian government. The commission is empowered to consider cases that include mergers and acquisitions, cartelisation, abuse of dominance, predatory pricing, price-fixing and anti-competitive practices. <<More>>

Changes to Leniency Regulation
International Law Office, April 09, 2009

On February 24 2009 the new Leniency Regulation, which sets forth procedural rules for the submission of leniency applications, entered into force. The adoption of the Leniency Regulation coincides with the issuance of the first-ever Competition Authority leniency guidelines, which are intended to raise awareness of leniency and inform potential candidates of their duties and rights under the programme. <<More>>

Portugal Imposes Provisional Measures on Promotional Campaign
ILO, April 09, 2009

The first quarter of 2009 saw the Portugal Competition Authority's first use of its power to adopt interim or provisional measures under Article 27 of the Competition Act. The authority temporarily suspended a promotional campaign by film distributor and cinema company ZON Multimédia that offered free cinema tickets to subscribers to ZON's television service. <<More>>

Commission Gears up for New Law
Engineering News, April 02, 2009

South Africa’s Competition Commission, which has expressed misgivings about some aspects of the proposed changes to the competition legislation, said that it was preparing itself for the likelihood that the amendments would be signed into law unaltered. <<More>>

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