Competition law is one of the areas of authority of the European Union. It comprises three main policy areas:

• Antitrust: control of collusion and other anti-competitive practices which has an effect on the EU (or, since 1994, the European Economic Area). This is covered under Articles 81 and 82 EC respectively.
• Mergers: control of proposed mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures involving companies which have a certain, defined amount of turnover in the EU/EEA. This is governed by the Council Regulation 139/2004 EC (the Merger Regulation).
• State aid: control of direct and indirect aid given by EU Member States to companies. Covered under Article 87 EC (ex Article 92).

This last point is a unique characteristic of the EU competition law regime. As the EU is made up of independent member states, both competition policy and the creation of the European single market could be rendered ineffective were member states free to support national companies as they saw fit. Antitrust laws, or competition laws, are laws which prohibit anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. ... Collusion is a term to refer to acts of cooperation or collaboration among rival entities. ... Anti-competitive practices are business or government practices that prevent and/or reduce competition in a market. ... Map of the EEA countries. ... The phrase mergers and acquisitions or M&A refers to the aspect of corporate finance strategy and management dealing with the merging and acquiring of different companies as well as assets. ... A subsidy is generally a monetary grant given by government in support of an activity regarded as being in the public interest. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into European Union. ... A single market is a customs union with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of all the four factors of production (goods, services, capital and labour). ...

Primary competence for applying EU competition law rests with European Commission and its Directorate General for Competition, although state aids in some sectors, such as transport, are handled by other Directorates General. On 1 May 2004 a decentralised regime for antitrust came into force which is intended to increase the application of EU competition law by national competition authorities and national courts. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rulings

• 2001, July. The EU rules against a General Electric Honeywell merger ([1]).

• 2004, December. The EU rules against a Energias de Portugal SA Gas de Portugal SA merger.

• 2004, March. The EU rules to force Microsoft to offer a Microsoft Windows version without the Windows Media Player preinstalled within the European Union. See: European Union Microsoft antitrust case.

• 2006, July. The EU rules that the merger of Sony Music Entertainment and Bertelsmann Music Group to form Sony BMG was a violation of antitrust regulations, and rules that they must demerge.

GE redirects here. ... Honeywell (NYSE: HON) is a major American multinational corporation that produces electronic control systems and automation equipment. ... The Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... Microsoft Windows is a family of operating systems by Microsoft. ... Windows Media Player (WMP) is a digital media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices. ... The European Union Microsoft antitrust case is a case brought by the greedy European Union (EU) against Microsoft for alleged antitrust abuse and because of rampant anti-Americanism. ... Sony Music Entertainment is a major global record label controlled by the Sony Corporation. ... BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group) is one of the six divisions of Bertelsmann. ... Bertelsmann is a transnational media corporation founded in 1835, based in G tersloh, Germany. ...

External links

• European Commission's competition law site
• Article 81 EC: Regulation of anti-competitive agreements
• Article 82 EC: Prohibition of abuse of a dominant position
• Article 86 EC: Application to State enterprises, public services etc.
• Article 87 EC: Regulation of State aid
• EU law blog
• Articles on EU and Austrian competition law
• Council Regulation on the implementation of the rules on competition European NAvigator