The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Vertex Standard of Japan by the US-based communications technologies operator Motorola. The European Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.
[European Commission Press Release]

The media are changing, and so is citizens' use of such media. New information and communication technologies make it much easier for anybody to retrieve and disseminate information, communicate, publish or even broadcast. The ability of people to critically analyse what they find in the media and to make more informed choices – called 'media literacy' – therefore becomes even more essential for active citizenship and democracy. Following an EU-wide survey last year, the European Commission has announced today its plans to encourage the development of media literacy and the exchange of good practice across Europe.
[European Commission Press Release]

Yesterday, the Dutch Telecom Regulator OPTA imposed a fine totalling 1 million euro on three Dutch enterprises for illegally installing software - so called spyware and adware - on more than 22 million computers in the Netherlands and elsewhere.
[European Commission Press Release]

Directive 2007/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2007 amending Council Directive 89/552/EEC on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities
[[2007] OJ L 332/27]

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the Scandinavian part of the Actebis group, which is mainly active in the wholesale of information technology products, by Arques Industries AG of Germany. The European Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.
[European Commission Press Release]

EFTA Surveillance Authority Decision No 90/04/COL of 23 April 2004 amending for the forty-sixth time the procedural and substantive rules in the field of State aid by introducing a new Chapter 24C: The application of the State aid rules to public service broadcasting
[[2007] OJ L 327/21]

The European Commission has authorised, under the EC Treaty rules on state aid, a French tax credit aimed at encouraging video game creation. This tax credit may be granted only to video games that meet the criteria of quality, originality, and contributing to cultural diversity. After an in-depth investigation that began in 2006, the European Commission has concluded that this measure qualifies for the exemption provided for by the EC Treaty for aid to promote culture.
[European Commission Press Release]

Just two weeks before Christmas, sweeping new EU rules to crackdown on misleading advertising and aggressive selling practices - including a ban on fake "free" offers and a ban on "pester power" advertising (direct exhortation) to children on the Internet - will come into force across the EU (December 12, 2007). These restrictions are part of an extensive black list of schemes which are banned by the new Unfair Commercial Practices (UCP) Directive – targeting in particular a "dirty dozen" of the some of the most abusive practices, from bait advertising, to pyramid schemes, advertorials and false curative health claims which are used against consumers. The UCP Directive substantially reinforces existing EU standards on misleading advertising and sets new EU standards against aggressive commercial practices - covering harassment, coercion, undue influence. The Directive aims to boost consumer and business confidence in the Single Market, so people can fully benefit from shopping cross border. To date only 14 Member States have implemented the directive. The European Commission has launched proceedings against EU Member States that have not yet adopted any national rules.
[European Commission Press Release]

Usage of Information and Communication Technologies in the European Union in 2007: Nearly half of EU27 enterprises outsource ICT functions, two thirds have a website.
[Eurostat Press Release]

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the BSG Group's wireless business, providing data and financial clearing services to wireless telecommunication companies around the world, by the US technology group Syniverse. The European Commission's in-depth investigation, opened in July 2007, has shown that the acquisition would be unlikely to result in competition concerns in the market for the provision of GSM roaming data clearing services. The European Commission has therefore concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or a significant part of it.
[European Commission Press Release]

In the EU27, 54% of households had access to the internet during the first quarter of 2007, compared with 49% during the first quarter of 2006, and 42% had a broadband connection, compared with 30% in 2006.
[Eurostat Press Release]