Author: 21st Century Competition

EU: Tech chief Kroes backs Google compromise (Competition Policy International)

The head of the EU’s Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, is speaking out in support of competition chief Joaquin Almunia and his proposed settlement with Google, an offer highly criticized by consumer advocates and Google rivals for inadequately addressing the company’s market dominance.

In a letter sent by Almunia to his fellow …read more

UK: Lobbyists champion relaxed bank market entry (Competition Policy International)

Bank lobbyists are encouraging lawmakers to relax the barriers to entry of the banking industry to boost competition, according to reports.

Banking lobby group the British Bankers’ Association spoke Monday to champion the government to establish rules that would cap the size of banks and lower the cost for new competitors …read more

US: First Forex fines coming soon (Competition Policy International)

Federal authorities are preparing to issue sanctions against banks for participating in an alleged foreign exchange benchmark rigging scandal, and fines could come as early as this year, according to reports.

An unnamed source told reporters this week that several individuals and firms could face fines before the end of the …read more

Germany: New chapter in eBooks saga hits Amazon (Competition Policy International)

A new antitrust complaint has hit Amazon in Germany, continuing the saga of competition concerns within the online eBooks retail business.

According to reports, Germany’s booksellers association filed the complaint against the world’s largest online retailer with the Federal Cartel Office accusing Amazon of abusing its market dominance against publishers. Authorities …read more