EU Company News

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

EU details objections to Universal-EMI merger: source — 04 July 2012, 12:59 CET

The European Commission has sent Universal Music Group a letter outlining its objections to its proposed $1.9 billion acquisition British music label EMI, a source said Wednesday.

EU court upholds bulk of billion-dollar Microsoft fine — 28 June 2012, 11:40 CET

A European court upheld a billion-dollar EU fine against Microsoft on Wednesday but reduced the penalty by tens of millions of euros.

EU 'doubts' Dexia state aid valid but gives more time — 31 May 2012, 18:17 CET

European Union competition authorities expressed doubts Thursday whether billions of state aid awarded to failed bank Dexia by Belgium, France and Luxembourg will turn out to be legal.

Eurotunnel in EUR 65m bid for SeaFrance assets — 10 May 2012, 22:45 CET

Eurotunnel, the operator of the Channel tunnel between Britain and France, is offering to buy all assets of liquidated ferry company SeaFrance for 65 million euros, a lawyer said Thursday.

Italy's first private high-speed train makes inaugural trip — 20 April 2012, 15:07 CET

Italy's first private high-speed train, launched by Ferrari head Luca di Montezemolo's company NTV and boasting sleek interiors and a cinema carriage, made its inaugural journey on Friday.

'Disappointed' EU mulls options against Argentina seizure — 17 April 2012, 18:40 CET

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said Tuesday he was "seriously disappointed" by Argentina's decision to expropriate a subsidiary of Spanish oil giant Repsol.

Lloyds receives new bid for 632 British bank branches — 12 April 2012, 17:37 CET

Britain's state-rescued Lloyds Banking Group on Thursday said it had received a fresh bid for the 632 bank branches it has been ordered to sell by EU competition regulators.

Fiat confirms targets for 2012 despite sales plunge — 04 April 2012, 16:02 CET

Fiat's CEO on Wednesday confirmed the Italian automaker's targets for 2012 despite a 35.6-percent drop in sales last month and said it would start production in China this year and in Russia in 2013.

EU probes Motorola in patent war with Apple, Microsoft — 03 April 2012, 14:27 CET

The European Commission opened on Tuesday two antitrust investigations against Google's Motorola Mobility following complaints from Apple and Microsoft in a patent war between the technology giants.

Expedia, TripAdvisor file EU complaint against Google — 03 April 2012, 15:31 CET

The travel websites Expedia and TripAdvisor have filed complaints as part of a probe into whether Google is abusing its position on the Intenet, a Commission spokesman said on Tuesday.

EU opens probe into sale of Dexia bank unit in Luxembourg — 03 April 2012, 13:47 CET

The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into the sale of the Luxembourg unit of fallen Franco-Belgian bank Dexia to an investor linked to the Qatari royal family, the EU said on Tuesday.

EU probes Google's Motorola in Apple, Microsoft patent war — 03 April 2012, 18:22 CET

European regulators have opened two antitrust investigations against Motorola Mobility, bought by US Internet giant Google, in the latest chapter of an escalating patent war with Apple and Microsoft.

Russia halves Ukraine gas shipments — 30 March 2012, 14:52 CET

Gazprom said on Friday it had recently halved Russia's natural gas shipments to Europe through Ukraine as part of efforts to reduce deliveries through the troublesome transit nation.

Telecom Italia posts EUR 4.7 bn loss for 2011 — 29 March 2012, 18:54 CET

Telecom Italia posted Thursday a net loss of 4.726 billion euros for 2011, as worsening economic prospects forced it to make a 7.3 billion euro goodwill write-down on its domestic business.

EU court orders Telefonica to pay antitrust fine — 29 March 2012, 15:35 CET

The European Court of Justice upheld an antitrust fine of 152 million euros on Thursday against Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica for abuse of a dominant market position.

World's oldest bank posts EUR 4.69 bn loss for 2011 — 29 March 2012, 15:26 CET

Italy's Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the world's oldest bank, on Thursday unveiled a loss of 4.69 billion euros for 2011 due to "extraordinarily difficult" conditions after making a profit in 2010.

EU launches in-depth probe of Universal buyout of EMI — 23 March 2012, 20:05 CET

The European Commission Friday opened an in-depth investigation of the proposed purchase of British music label EMI Music by Vivendi subsidiary Universal Music Group, over competition concerns.

EU bids to open market access in emerging nations — 21 March 2012, 20:10 CET

The European Union unveiled proposals Wednesday aimed at forcing emerging powers such as China to offer European firms access to lucrative government contracts.

EU approves UK's Royal Mail debt, pension relief plan — 21 March 2012, 15:41 CET

EU anti-trust regulators on Wednesday approved British government plans to provide pension relief and slash the debt of Royal Mail Group as part of its privatisation.

France raps Google's new privacy policy — 28 February 2012, 22:33 CET

France on Tuesday demanded that Internet giant Google postpone rolling out its new privacy policy two days before it comes into effect as it appears to break European Union data protection rules.

Court rules illegal to mix Viagra with Polish drink Viaguara — 25 January 2012, 14:30 CET

A Polish drinks company was given a giant let-down Wednesday when top European judges ruled they were cheating in trying to trademark a drink named Viaguara" -- too close for their taste to the sex drug Viagra.

GM reclaims world's biggest carmaker title as Toyota skids — 20 January 2012, 10:12 CET

General Motors reclaimed its title as the world's biggest automaker Thursday, successfully emerging from its 2009 bankruptcy woes to overtake German giant Volkswagen and Japanese Toyota in the race to the top.

EU to ease mobility of non-EU corporate employees — 13 July 2010, 23:30 CET

The proposed Directive of the European Commission covers third-country nationals who reside outside the EU territory and apply to be admitted to the territory of a Member State in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer. The new conditions of entry and residence aim at helping international companies to rely on mobility of third-country national intra-corporate transferees (ICTs).

12 Member States warned to implement EU rules on shareholders' rights — 24 June 2010, 22:03 CET

The European Commission is taking action against a twelve EU Member States in the area of public procurement and for late implementation of the Shareholders' Rights Directive.

EC looks to boost European Company — 25 March 2010, 13:17 CET

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to determine whether changes are needed to make the European Company Statute (SE) work better. With the review of the SE Statute, the Commission is aiming to increase the use of the SE across the EU.