Tag

European Commission

All articles tagged with #european commission

business13 days ago•14 min saved

Paramount Offers Remedies to Clear EU Waters for WBD Merger

Paramount has filed concessions with the European Commission to win clearance for its $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery merger, hoping remedies address EC concerns and speed approval ahead of a July 22 decision. The company did not disclose the specifics of the concessions, but says they directly address the EC’s preliminary concerns. The development comes as the UK weighs intervention and the CMA continues its review, while the DOJ has already approved the deal in the US and state attorneys general weigh possible antitrust action.

via Deadline|

#business #concessions #european-commission

business17 days ago•1 min saved

EU opens antitrust probe into Sanofi’s flu vaccine marketing

The European Commission has opened formal antitrust proceedings against Sanofi over its marketing of the flu vaccine Efluelda, accusing the company of a misleading campaign that portrayed CSL Seqirus’ Fluad as inferior and contradicted national vaccination guidance in Germany and France; the probe targets Sanofi’s messaging to healthcare professionals and its dominant market position, nine months after EC raids, with Sanofi saying it will address the concerns. CSL reported Fluad sales of about $901 million last year, while Sanofi does not disclose vaccine sales; Efluelda is sold as Fluzone HD in the US.

via Fierce Pharma|

#antitrust #business #csl-seqirus

business20 days ago•15 min saved

EU Expected to Green-Light Paramount-Warner Merger With Concessions

The European Commission is poised to approve Paramount’s $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery without a full antitrust investigation, but likely only after concessions to address competition concerns, which could include Paramount exiting certain international distribution deals and possibly divesting some assets; the decision is due by July 7, with UK regulators and foreign subsidies reviews and Middle East funding scrutinized separately.

via Deadline|

#business #eu-antitrust #european-commission

technology28 days ago•10 min saved

EU rejects mandatory game preservation; shifts toward industry code and consumer safeguards

The European Commission rejected a legal obligation to keep video games playable after publishers stop providing them, citing intellectual property rights and existing EU consumer protections. It will instead pursue a jointly developed industry code of conduct on end-of-life management and strengthen awareness of consumer rights, while leaving room for future reforms. This keeps pressure on publishers to rethink online lifespans and may influence other countries.

via GamingOnLinux|

#consumer-rights #european-commission #industry-code-of-conduct

technology1 month ago•9 min saved

EU Says Siri Won't Arrive in Europe Until Apple Meets DMA Rules

The European Commission says Apple’s decision not to launch Siri AI in the EU is entirely Apple’s, accusing the company of seeking a blanket exemption from interoperability obligations under the DMA rather than proposing a compliant solution. Regulators contend Apple failed to develop interoperable options that meet EU privacy and security standards, despite Apple’s claims that regulators refused to engage on proposals. Consequently, Siri AI won’t be available in the EU with iOS 27, though Apple says it hopes to bring Siri to Europe in the future without providing a timeline.

via MacRumors|

#digital-markets-act #european-commission #european-union

technology1 month ago•5 min saved

EU's Tech Sovereignty Drive Falls Short, Frustrating Brussels and Washington

The European Commission on June 3 unveiled a tech sovereignty package aimed at reducing Europe’s dependence on U.S. tech, but critics say it’s too soft and risks angering Washington. The centerpiece Cloud and AI Development Act would implement a four-level certification to rate tools for vulnerability to foreign interference and could require replacing some foreign services with European options, yet large parts of the market could remain open to American giants. Reactions from lawmakers and industry groups warn the plan could be protectionist or ineffective without tougher action against major tech firms, and the proposal faces a lengthy negotiation between Parliament and national governments. Some officials also hint at coordinating with U.S.-led AI supply chain efforts (Pax Silica), while the Commission emphasizes openness and fair competition. Environmental standards for data centers are notably absent, drawing criticism from Greens and others.

via politico.eu|

#artificial-intelligence #cloud-computing #european-commission

europe1 month ago•4 min saved

Brussels releases €16.4B in EU funds to Hungary after Magyar deal

Brussels and Hungary reached an agreement to unblock €16.4 billion of frozen EU funds, with €10 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and €4.2 billion plus €2.2 billion from cohesion funds, contingent on Hungary meeting 27 'super-milestones' tied to rule-of-law and governance reforms. The money will fund transport infrastructure, healthcare, SMEs, education and energy-grid upgrades, and Erasmus+ will be available for students. Hungary’s unfreezing follows PM Péter Magyar’s victory and is not linked to Ukraine talks, though it requires guarantees on minority rights; failure to meet milestones could jeopardize parts of the funding.

via Euronews|

#eu-funds #europe #european-commission

business2 months ago•3 min saved

EU keeps options open as Trump threatens 25% auto tariffs

EU officials say they’ll keep options open as Trump threatens to raise tariffs on European cars and auto parts to 25% over alleged noncompliance with the Turnberry deal; Brussels says it’s implementing the pact in line with standard practice while EU governments remain divided on safeguards, with a final vote possible soon, underscoring the risk of a renewed transatlantic trade dispute.

via politico.eu|

#autos #business #european-commission

world2 months ago•3 min saved

Tisza Party clinches sweeping majority as EU funds hinge on reforms

Hungary’s Tisza party widened its parliamentary majority to 141 seats, paving the path for rapid reforms to unlock about €17 billion in EU funds. PM-elect Péter Magyar has begun talks with the European Commission to map the 27 reform conditions and lift Viktor Orbán’s veto, with the EU signaling potential early Ukraine loan payments and a looming August deadline for post-COVID funds.

via politico.eu|

#eu-funds #european-commission #hungary

world3 months ago•13 min saved

Fans urge EU scrutiny of World Cup ticket pricing

Soccer supporters have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission alleging that FIFA World Cup ticket prices are too high and opaque, calling for EU review of pricing practices and potential remedies to improve affordability and access for fans.

via AP News|

#european-commission #fans #fifa

politics4 months ago•3 min saved

EU lawmakers condemn Commission over attendance at Trump’s Gaza peace board meeting

European Parliament groups criticized the European Commission for sending Commissioner Dubravka Šuica to a meeting of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Washington, arguing the move lacked a defined mandate and risks breaching institutional balance. The Commission defended the action, saying many member states participated and that it does not constitute EU membership, while emphasizing the need to engage in discussions affecting Gaza and Palestinians. Only a few EU states have formally joined the board, with others attending as observers, and the incident drew criticism, including from France, as a test of EU institutional norms.

via politico.eu|

#board-of-peace #donald-trump #eu-parliament

business5 months ago•19 min saved

EU clears UMG’s Downtown deal with Curve divestment condition

The European Commission approved Universal Music Group's $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, but only after UMG agreed to divest Curve Royalty Systems to an independent buyer to address data-access and competition concerns; the deal will expand Virgin Music Group with Downtown assets like FUGA, CD Baby and Songtrust after a lengthy review that faced indie opposition.

via Music Business Worldwide|

#antitrust #business #curve-royalty-systems

politics5 months ago•3 min saved

Weber urges merger of EU Commission and Council presidencies for a single voice

European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber called for merging the EU’s Commission president and European Council president roles into one post to give the bloc a single voice on the world stage, a move he says could be implemented after the 2029 elections without treaty changes. He also floated shifting foreign and security policy to qualified majority voting, or pursuing a sovereignty-style treaty if full integration isn’t feasible.

via politico.eu|

#eu-presidency #european-commission #european-council

technology5 months ago•3 min saved

EU widens probe into X over Grok-driven deepfake risks

Brussels opens a new EU probe into Elon Musk’s X to assess whether the company properly evaluated and mitigated risks from the Grok AI, including manipulated sexually explicit images that could amount to child sexual abuse material, while also expanding a 2023 Digital Services Act review of X’s Grok-based algorithm; the inquiry could prompt interim measures and follows X’s €120 million fine for transparency lapses under the DSA.

via politico.eu|

#deepfakes #digital-services-act #european-commission

technology5 months ago•5 min saved

Stop Killing Games EU petition clears 1.3M signatures, set for EU Commission talks

The Stop Killing Games EU petition has reached 1.3 million verified signatures, surpassing the 1 million threshold needed for discussion with the European Commission. Germany leads with about 233,000 signatures and France with around 145,000. Organisers say roughly 1.294 million signatures were legitimate, highlighting a strong signal from gamers since the initiative began in 2024 after Ubisoft shut down The Crew. UK authorities note there’s no legal requirement for software to be kept online indefinitely. The organizers plan to meet EU lawmakers to discuss next steps.

via GamesIndustry.biz|

#european-commission #gaming-petition #signatures