Yale Law Library - Reference Blog : EU

EU Action Against Microsoft

Tom Boone — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:10:00 GMT

A € 899 penalty was imposed on Microsoft by the European Commission for failure to comply with the Commission's 2004 decision. This is the first time that the EU has fined an organization for failure to comply with one of its decisions.

Here is the first paragraph of the EU Press release.

Antitrust: Commission imposes € 899 million penalty on Microsoft for non-compliance with March 2004 Decision

The European Commission has imposed a penalty payment of € 899 million on Microsoft for non-compliance with its obligations under the Commission’s March 2004 Decision (see IP/04/382) prior to 22 October 2007. Today’s Decision, adopted under Article 24(2) of Regulation 1/2003, finds that, prior to 22 October 2007, Microsoft had charged unreasonable prices for access to interface documentation for work group servers. The 2004 Decision, which was upheld by the Court of First Instance in September 2007 (see CJE/07/63 and MEMO/07/359), found that Microsoft had abused its dominant position under Article 82 of the EC Treaty, and required Microsoft to disclose interface documentation which would allow non-Microsoft work group servers to achieve full interoperability with Windows PCs and servers at a reasonable price.

The EU Press Release with more detail is here.

General Report on the European Union's Activities in 2007

Tom Boone — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:34:00 GMT

An excellent review of the EU's year is now available:

Publication of the General Report on the European Union's Activities in 2007
The Commission has presented the General Report on the activities of the European Union in 2007 to the European Parliament. Highlights of the past year were the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon, the enlargement of the Union to 27 members, the adoption of common objectives to tackle climate change and the response to the challenges of globalisation.
Marking the publication of the 2007 General Report, President Barroso said: "2007 was a year of policy delivery for European citizens – a year of a Europe of results. A new policy era was established with unanimous support by member states for the Commission's ambitious proposals to tackle climate change and energy security. Historians will no doubt also remember 2007 as the year of the treaties and will trace the long road that has led us over 50 years from the Rome treaties to the Lisbon treaty. We welcomed the citizens of Bulgaria and Romania into the European Union. The Community institutions designated 2007 as the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All" to highlight one of the fundamental values which the European Union is trying to make a tangible reality for its citizens. This perspective gives a special significance to the summary of the activities of the European Union contained in this latest General Report, which covers the many and varied initiatives and achievements of the first year of the Europe of 27."
The General Report covers the work of all the EU institutions and bodies and seeks to provide an overview of the notable events and key trends of EU life in 2007.
A high point of 2007 was undoubtedly the signing of the new Treaty of Lisbon on 13 December, which came at the right time to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. In honour of the 50^th anniversary the Presidents of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission also signed the Berlin Declaration, expressing the European Union's commitment to a body of shared values. 2007 was also the year of enlargement: the enlargement of the European Union to 27 Member States with the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, the enlargement of the euro area to include Slovenia and the enlargement of the Schengen area to include a further nine new members.
The European Union also clearly expressed its determination to play a leading role in combating climate change, by adopting, in January, common, binding targets aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, with the specific aim of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius.
Globalisation also remained the focus of particular attention from the European Union, with the European Council adopting a declaration on globalisation which analyses the challenges and proposes ways of turning globalisation into an opportunity for Europe's citizens. In this spirit the EU continued its efforts to implement the Lisbon strategy. In line with its plan to deliver a Europe of results for its citizens, the Commission proposed a reform of the internal market coupled with a debate on a new social vision for 21^st-century Europe.
The new General Report, which runs to approximately 250 pages, follows the concise style used in recent editions. The developments in the different fields of activity are set out according to the four strategic objectives adopted by the Commission at the beginning of its term of office: prosperity, solidarity, security, and Europe's role as a world partner. Three other chapters are devoted to the life of the institutions and other bodies, the budget and financial activities and the general policy framework. The chapter on the general policy framework emphasises the progress made in 2007 in such fundamental areas as better regulation, reducing the administrative burden and the launch of the new Impact Assessment Board.
The General Report is published in 22 official languages and can be consulted via the internet on the EU's Europa website: http://europa.eu/generalreport/en/welcome.htm. It is available from the sales offices for European Community publications.

European Commission presents policy priorities for 2009

Tom Boone — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:19:00 GMT

So, what does the EU plan for 2009? The Commission released it's priorities, following is the press release with a link to the document:

Commission presents policy priorities for 2009
The Commission has today presented its Annual Policy Strategy setting out its political priorities for 2009. It outlines the Commission's policy objectives in five priority areas: growth and jobs, climate change and sustainable Europe, making a reality of the common immigration policy, putting the citizen first, and Europe as a world partner. The Commission will seek to gain approval for its legislative initiatives and also look forward by stimulating debate on the internal market, social agenda and budget reviews.
Commission President, José Manuel Barroso said, "The European Commission will continue to put its emphasis on delivering concrete results for European citizens. While we hope to have a new institutional architecture in place with the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, our focus will remain on the policy initiatives presented over recent years. Economic reform, more jobs, tackling climate change and energy insecurity, migration and more security for our citizens are at the centre of our priorities for 2009. This Commission can be proud of the achievements it has already achieved; I want to make sure that we continue to be just as productive".
During 2009, the Commission will maintain its focus on delivering results for the benefit of citizens and businesses. Growth and jobs remain a major policy priority for the Union, backed up by further efforts to tackle climate change and to meet the energy needs of the Union. The Commission will follow up on the Single Market review and on the revised Social Agenda. The Commission will also look forward, laying the foundations for the years ahead. On of the main highlights will be the work on the budget review, based on the consultation now underway, which will pave the way for the preparation of the next financial perspectives.
The development of a common immigration policy will be a fundamental priority in order to meet the challenges and harness the opportunities provided by migration in an era of globalisation. Initiatives will be put forward to simplify the life of citizens and ensure their security. Negotiations with candidate countries will be pursued on the basis of the renewed consensus on enlargement. Work to develop closer political and economic ties with partners around the world will continue to intensify, and new partnerships with African countries will be implemented in the context of the Africa/EU strategy. The Commission will also continue to deliver on its better regulation agenda, to focus on the proper enforcement of EU legislation and to ensure the sound management of financial programmes.
2009 will be an important year for the European Union, marked by the possible entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, a new European Parliament and a new European Commission.
In addition to the Commission's policy priorities to be taken forward in 2009, the Annual Policy Strategy proposes an allocation of human and financial resources to reinforce the Commission's ability to deliver in priority areas. The Annual Policy Strategy also identifies the main communication priorities for 2009. The Commission will give specific focus in 2009 to the new possibilities and benefits offered by the Treaty of Lisbon to the citizens of the Union (subject to its entry into force), the review of the EU budget, growth and jobs presented in the perspective of citizens' concerns, and energy and climate change.
On the basis of this Annual Policy Strategy, the Commission will initiate an exchange of views with the European Parliament and Council on where the policy priorities should lie in 2009, and how this should be reflected in the Commission's legislative and work programme to be adopted in October and in the budget for 2009.
More information and the Annual Policy Strategy 2009 can be found at:
http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/synthesis/index_en.htm