EU Company News

Latest European company news from EUbusiness.com, with business commentary and analysis on companies in Europe.

Swedish Match says EU bribes totalled EUR 60 million — 19 October 2012, 14:28 CET

Tobacco producer Swedish Match claimed Friday it was offered the opportunity to pay EUR 60 million thwart new EU tobacco legislation in a scandal that has cost Europe's top health official his job.

World's oldest bank contests Moody's sovereign downgrade — 18 October 2012, 17:13 CET

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the world's oldest bank still in business, has contested a credit rating downgrade by Moody's to "junk" status saying its financial situation was solid.

Siemens bags EUR 260m train contract in Kuala Lumpur — 17 October 2012, 16:23 CET

German engineering giant Siemens said Wednesday it has won a major contract to supply driverless metro trains to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

EU data bodies tell Google to fix privacy rules or face fine — 16 October 2012, 22:37 CET

European data protection agencies on Tuesday said Google's new privacy policy does not comply with EU laws and told the US Internet giant to fix it within months or face legal action.

Advent in EUR 1.5bn offer for German perfume retailer Douglas — 15 October 2012, 13:41 CET

US private equity group Advent International is teaming up with the founders of perfume retailer Douglas to launch a 1.5-billion-euro ($1.9-billion) takeover of the group, the German firm said Monday.

Santander calls off EUR 2bn deal to buy RBS branches — 13 October 2012, 12:12 CET

Spanish lender Santander on Friday pulled out of a GBP 1.65 billion deal to buy 316 branches from Royal Bank of Scotland, in a blow to the state-rescued British bank.

European car sector set for six doldrum years: S&P — 10 October 2012, 13:36 CET

Sales by car makers in western Europe will struggle for six more years to reach pre-crisis levels, says ratings agency Standard & Poor's as Moody's downgrades its notes on Fiat and Peugeot.

EU Gazprom probe 'about fairness', not politics — 27 September 2012, 13:48 CET

An EU probe of alleged abuse of market muscle by Russian giant Gazprom is not political and simply aims to create a level playing field, says Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia.

EU extends Dexia guarantee clearance to Jan 2013 — 26 September 2012, 15:44 CET

The European Commission has extended by four months its clearance for France, Belgium and Luxembourg to provide state guarantees worth 55 billion euros for failed Dexia bank.

EU's Almunia wants France, Belgium to 'speed up' Dexia deal — 25 September 2012, 13:49 CET

EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia has called on France and Belgium to "speed up" negotiations over public guarantees behind a restructured Dexia bank.

Microsoft faces fine over browser commitment — 25 September 2012, 17:05 CET

US software giant Microsoft faces yet more heavy fines after it promised to offer clients a choice of web browser but has failed to do so, the EU's competition commissioner said Monday.

Airbus unveils jet fuel venture with Sinopec — 24 September 2012, 22:19 CET

Airbus and Chinese oil company Sinopec have teamed up to develop an alternative fuel standard and supply for China, one of the fastest growing aviation markets, the European plane maker said on Monday.

EU reviews US compliance in WTO Boeing subsidies ruling — 24 September 2012, 19:34 CET

The European Commission said on Monday it had received notice from the United States of an end to subsidies ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization, and was checking compliance.

Universal bags Beatles label EMI, says bye-bye to Guetta — 21 September 2012, 21:42 CET

The world's biggest record company Universal won clearance Friday to take over EMI, home to the Beatles, but only on condition that it sell off rights to a string of top artists like David Guetta.

Deutsche Telekom wins EUR 400m contracts in Spain — 20 September 2012, 11:07 CET

German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom said Thursday it has won contracts worth 400 million euros to supply IT and telecommunications systems to the Catalonia regional government in Spain.

EU conditionally approves Universal-EMI merger: report — 20 September 2012, 11:23 CET

The European Commission is set to approve Universal's $1.9 billion purchase of EMI, but will require it to sell off many of the target's major record labels, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Regulators near deal with publishers on e-book pricing — 19 September 2012, 19:04 CET

European regulators say they are near a deal with giant publishers accused of e-book price fixing, weeks after media giants including Apple sealed a deal in the United States.

EuroDisney gets EUR 1.3bn loan from Walt Disney — 18 September 2012, 22:51 CET

Euro Disney, the struggling theme park near Paris, said Tuesday that it has received a loan of 1.3 billion euros from its parent the Walt Disney company, allowing it to refinance a large part of its existing debt.

EU Gazprom probe a threat to Putin's power: Kasparov — 18 September 2012, 17:40 CET

A European Union probe of alleged market manipulation by energy giant Gazprom is a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin's powerbase, world chess champion turned Kremlin foe Garry Kasparov said Tuesday.

Storm clouds gather over Russia's dominant Gazprom — 16 September 2012, 14:02 CET

From falling profits to an EU anti-trust probe and a possibly misguided strategy based on pipelines -- storm clouds are finally gathering over Russia's previously invincible gas giant Gazprom.

Play by EU rules, energy chief Oettinger tells Gazprom — 14 September 2012, 16:49 CET

Russian giant Gazprom must play by EU market rules and stop charging western and eastern member states different gas prices, EU energy chief Guenther Oettinger said Friday.

Russia sets Moldova gas ultimatum amid EU price row — 12 September 2012, 18:55 CET

Russia has told Moldova to sever its natural gas ties with the European Union in exchange for a discount in prices whose rise has sparked an explosive new probe by Brussels.

EU takes note of Putin decree protecting Russian state firms — 12 September 2012, 16:56 CET

The Commission says it notes noted and will analyse a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin which could make an EU probe of gas giant Gazprom more difficult, if not impossible.

Putin protects Russian state firms after Gazprom probe — 11 September 2012, 17:56 CET

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday ordered a tough set of rules protecting the operations of Russian state firms abroad, in response to a major EU anti-trust probe into gas giant Gazprom.

Gazprom slams probe with EU, announces talks — 10 September 2012, 19:04 CET

Gazprom says a Commission probe over the Russian giant's controversial gas pricing and trade policies was disingenuous and that the company would discuss the allegations with the EU.