Date: 2013-12-10
Madam President, my thanks to Mr Tremosa and the other rapporteurs for producing Parliament's report on the 2012 competition report. The main theme of our report was that competition policy is essential to preserve and deepen the single market so that it can boost growth and job creation. Your response, and Parliament's study of last July on the contribution of competition policy to growth and to the EU 2020 strategy, confirms that we hold the same priorities. I have read with interest the suggestions and ideas in the draft resolution. Today I can only address some of them, but the Commission will provide a detailed written response in due time. First of all I want to welcome your positive reaction to the new banking communication we issued last August. Thanks to it, we will continue to use the state aid rules to preserve financial stability, minimise the cost to taxpayers and ensure that restructured banks resume lending to companies and households. As to our broader efforts to modernise state aid rules, the strategy is approaching its final stage. All the main elements of the package should be in place during the first part of 2014, and the new system will respond better to today's challenges and will be easier to comply with. Your draft resolution notes that in 2012 we have focused on state aid rather than on the other instruments in the competition toolbox. However, last year the Commission also enforced anti-trust, cartel and merger rules with great force. Earlier today we adopted a decision, with fines, prohibiting an agreement between two pharmaceutical companies that had the object of delaying the entry into the Dutch market of the generic version of Fentanyl, a potent painkiller used by cancer patients. I welcome Parliament's continued support in the fight against cartels. Last week the Commission took its first decision regarding the investigations into interest rate derivatives. We reached settlements with eight financial institutions which had violated EU anti-trust rules, and we fined them EUR 1.7 billion. Some banks have not participated in the settlement, and normal proceedings will continue against them. We have also continued our action in technology markets, especially in areas such as e-books, standard essential patents for mobile phones, as well as in the field of online search, for which a second set of commitment proposals by Google is being market tested with stakeholders. Just to answer the precise question raised by Mr Tremosa, on the second market test or consultation finalised yesterday, I will assess with my team in DG COMP the responses we received from this round of consultations and in the coming weeks I will make up my mind and I can of course share with Parliament my conclusions regarding the next steps in the procedure. In mergers and acquisitions, in 2012 we blocked two deals: UPS/TNT and Ryanair/Aer Lingus. We cleared 12 cases with commitments and approved almost 200 cases without conditions. We have worked on a merger simplification initiative that will cut red tape and reduce costs for businesses. We have also started to reflect on the control of minority shareholdings, an area where Parliament has also requested action. The next step to advance the initiative would be a White Paper to be adopted in 2014. I have promised to table a proposal on anti-trust damages actions. As you know, the Commission adopted a proposal in June. I believe that our proposal strikes the right balance to reach its dual aim, to make damages compensation a reality in all Member States and to strengthen public enforcement. As you are already working on the proposal I will not go into details. I would just like to welcome the progress made, namely the general approach reached at the Council last week. Responding to Parliament's call to look into developments in the food chain, DG COMP's food taskforce monitors the sector in line with the newly reformed CAP framework. We are preparing practical and focused guidelines in this regard. I am convinced that the new agricultural policy provides an appropriate framework for the enforcement of competition rules and it helps to maintain a productive, strong and effective agricultural sector. Referring to social services, I can confirm that it is for Member States to determine the scope and quality of services of general interest such as social housing. Social housing is a public service that enjoys preferential treatment under specific state aid rules for services of general economic interest. The Commission's role is restricted to ensuring that the public funds earmarked for public services are not misused. Finally, the report stresses the importance of completing the single market in various sectors, in line with the view of Mr Tremosa. Energy, transport, telecoms and payments services are mentioned in particular. I fully agree with your view of the need to complement and to complete the single market in this area. The College of Commissioners is coordinating regulatory and competition enforcement efforts to achieve our common goals in these sectors.