100 posts
Export Week
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It’s not often that I blog about football, but this week I came across a truly inspiring story. Terry Nelson is a former Paratrooper who invented a suit that enables athletes to recuperate in water. He himself has represented our country and won a...
Supporters Direct Europe to launch position paper on football governance at the European Parliament
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Supporters Direct Europe (SD Europe) is launching its first position paper, ‘The Heart of the Game: Why Supporters are Vital to Improving Governance in Football’, at an event hosted by Ivo Belet MEP at the European Parliament in Brussels today an...
VIDEO: Renault and Caterham team up on sports car project
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Natalie Powell filed this report from Paris.
Natasha Baker – Gold Medal Profile
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In her first ever Paralympics at the age of 22, Natasha Baker could not have asked for a better introduction to the equestrian events at this level. She broke Paralympic records and took home Team GB’s first equestrian gold medal … Cont...
Helena Lucas – Gold Medal Profile
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Helena Lucas holds the impressive distinction of being the first Brit ever to take a gold in the sailing events at the Paralympics. Helena suffers from a condition that affects both her hands. Despite this, she initially focused on competing …...
CC issues final merger procedural guidelines and consults on revised disclosure guidance
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The UK Competition Commission made public its final merger procedural guidelines and launched its consultation on its review of the existing Chairman’s Guidance on Disclosure of Information in Merger Inquiries and Market Investigations (see related...
Intellectual Property Rights and Antitrust – is there light at the end of the tunnel? Part 2
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Authors: Mario MarinielloPart 2/2 In my previous blog I wrote about the work of the European Union and United States competition authorities’ chief economists on a set of common principles that could improve standard-setting processes and li...
Intellectual Property Rights and Antitrust – is there light at the end of the tunnel?
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Authors: Mario MarinielloPart 1/2 The chief economists of the European Union and United States competition authorities are prepared to suggest to standard-setting organizations a set of common principles to resolve longstanding intellectual property...
CEZ condemns critical journalist to freeze in the dark
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The good news is that the critical journalist is still alive, I spoke to him yesterday. But the bad news is that his life is in danger, as my 68-year old colleague who has cancer lives without electricity in an apartment in Sofia when the only source...
Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking – Gold Medal Profiles
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Of all the four gold medals won at Dorney Lake, that of Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking was by far the most joyously unexpected. They had only joined forces in a boat three months earlier, boasting a solitary World Cup … Continue reading...
OFT issues new Competition Act procedural guidance
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"The OFT today set out new decision-making processes and procedural enhancements to boost the speed and robustness of Competition Act 1998 (CA98) investigations and increase engagement with parties involved. The updated guidance on CA98 procedu...
Commission clears Bulgarian Telecommunications Company's acquisition byVTB and Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank
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"The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation to the acquisition of joint control by OAO VTB Bank (''VTB'', the Russian Federation) and Corporate Commercial Bank AD (''Corporate Commercial Bank'', Bulgaria) of the u...
Should Citi Be Broken Up or “Prodded”?
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In 2011, the office of the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program published a report on the aid provided to Citigroup by the U.S. Government during the financial crisis of 2008. “Unless and until an institution such as Citi...
The concept of ‘appreciable restriction of competition’ in ‘object’ cases under Article 101(1) TFEU – AG Kokott in Expedia
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Christopher Brown On 6 September 2012 AG Kokott issued her Opinion in Case C-226/11 Expedia Inc. The case results from a preliminary reference made by the French Cour de cassation in proceedings between Expedia and the French competition authority,...
Russia to Wow with Olympic Opening Ceremony
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Following the success of the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing and the much-talked about event that kicked-off this summer’s games in London, Russia is pulling out all the stops to make sure the opening ceremony for 2014 Winter Games in Soc...
DG Comp issues practical guidance on GBER
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DG Comp issued a FAQ document on the application of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER).
Rain Beats Poland in Warsaw
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Poland's new $550 million National Stadium has become a laughing stock after a World Cup qualifier was postponed because the stadium's roof, supposed to protect the pitch from rain, couldn't be closed--because it was raining.
La Poste
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This has to be some kind of conspiracy: No sooner had I advocated for the greater use of EPICs than the CJEU declared them unlawful. On September 20, the 6th Chamber of the General Court, with Judge Wahl acting as rapporteur, upheld the Commissio...
Sep. '12 updt: European Commission, contrary to FTC's unconditional approval, clear's Universal's acquisition of EMI's recorded music business subject to conditions
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"The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of EMI's recorded music business by Universal Music Group. The approval is conditional upon the divestment of EMI's Parlophone label and numerous other...
Josie Pearson – Gold Medal Profile
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Continuing with my profiles of those women who achieved gold medals at the Olympics and Paralympics this week, I am today looking at Josie Pearson, who won gold in the combined F51/52/53 discus. She will now have her image on a stamp issued by...
Female British Gold Medalists – Heather Stanning
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Following on from yesterdays profile on Helen Glover, today’s will be on her team mate, Heather Stanning. For most Olympians, taking part in this summer’s Games is by far the most daunting challenge they are likely to face all year. ̷...
We are all Europeans now (well, almost all)
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We are all Europeans now (well, almost all) By David Seymour on Monday, 01 October 2012 The fantastic win in the Ryder Cup has meant that suddenly Europe is not a word being used with contempt and derision.
“USA!” at Ryder Cup 2012: Silent “EU!” Wins
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The Ryder Cup of 2012, held in Illinois, can be read as payback for the European team at the expense of the Americans because the latter had come back from the same 10-6 deficit to win at the previous Cup. The Associated Press reported that the...
Female British Gold Medalists – Sarah Storey
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After my e-book before the summer with profiles of British female athletes competing in London, I thought it would be a good idea to celebrate those women who achieved gold medals. Of course it wasn’t just about medals this summer; … Co...
Aug. '12 updt: Czech Competition Authority issues Annual Report
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Czech Competition Authority issued its Annual Report.
Aug. '12 updt: German Court's decision protects Bundeskartellamt's leniency programme
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"In the proceedings against several coffee roasters, the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf decided on 22 August 2012 that the denial of third-party access to the leniency applications of cartel participants was also valid in court proceedings.
What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?
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This was the question posed by CLR James in his classic book "Beyond a Boundary", setting out the social and political importance of cricket to the development of West Indian identity.There was another reminder of the importance of cricket as a...
The importance of remembering
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It's healthy for people - like nations - to remember where they came from so that they can face the future with a sense of security, even when it will be different from the past. Earlier I've written about how the EU must learn from history and avoid...
#TeamCy2012eu to sweat the colors of the Council of the European Union for Charity
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It's objective is to gather as many participants as possible, wearing the official colors of the Presidency. Running for the Cyprus Presidency team, would be a substantial contribution in our effort to use this opportunity for fund raising.
Croatian Paralympians bring home the sporting glory
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The last five weeks of Olympic sporting thrills, feisty competitions, inspiration and hope ended on Sunday September 10 with the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games, dubbed “the greatest ever” by International Committee chairman Sir...
French media less enthusiastic about Paralympic Games, London 2012
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Imagine diving into a pool with your eyes closed, running without any legs, playing table tennis without any hands, or playing rugby sitting in a wheelchair. These brave acts are what make the ‘other’ olympic games, the ones which barely made it...
The proposed Universal/EMI merger: why should we care?
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The proposed Universal/EMI merger in recorded music not only raises serious issues from an anti-trust perspective, policy makers and citizens, including music lovers, are not sufficiently alerted to the issues raised by such a mega concentration in t...
Lithuania at Fore of Gazprom Fight
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When the EU announced it is investigating Russia’s Gazprom, Lithuania likely rejoiced more than others.
Russia: 40th Anniversary of Canada-USSR Hockey Series
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RuNet blogger Vladimir Kharitonov honored the 40th anniversary of the “Summit Series” - eight hockey games played on two continents between the USSR and Team Canada in September 1972. Although Canada emerged with more wins, the series all...
2012 Paralympics: A Successful Start, Remarkable Stories
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Martine Wright, a survivor of the London bombings, Rim Ju Song, the first North Korean participant who, a few months ago, could not swim; and Hassiem Achmat, who survived a shark attack. Just some of the remarkable Paralympic athletes.
From village bells to the torch relay: online broadcasting of the Olympics in Europe
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Number of views :287Philippa Barr We are getting close to the end of summer – one of the final guest posts here, this time by Philippa Nicole Barr - In a 1998 book called Village Bells, Alain Corbin told us that village bells played an impo...
Building effective governance
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The summer break has given me the chance to step back from the usual flow of things (even if ‘flow’ might seem an ambitious description of the EU right now), and has let me spend some time with one of my other interests in life, namely cy...
Les Jeux Paralympiques : cherchez les femmes ?
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Les femmes en situation de handicap sont le plus souvent victimes d’une « sur –discrimination » par rapport aux hommes dans la même situation. Les sportives handicapées ne font pas exception à la règle. Quelques c...
Justice (of a sort) for Peter Norman
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The inspirational activist and former athlete John Carlos recently toured the UK, speaking at a number of meetings where his message of how sport can play a part in anti-racist struggle was, quite properly, very well received. John Carlos’s...
Man U, a stake for Soros
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Hat-tip to Sam Jones — it’s a 7.85 per cent stake by George Soros.For every defeat to Everton…Also spotted in Monday evening SEC filings: Peter Thiel selling...
Shorting, shorting Man United
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Dearie me – what an atrocious headline.Shares in Manchester United are down more than 6 per cent since its JOBS Act-abetted listing on the New York stock exchange less than a fortnight ago....
Rule 40 and the IOC: can a swimmer be in deep water?
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Michael Phelps for Vuitton No1 Record-breaking and recently retired swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals, is now apparently in trouble over an ad campaign for Louis Vuitton which may result in him...
"Olympian Economics" by Robert Skidelsky
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As Olympic mania swept the world in recent weeks, it transported the host country, Great Britain, to a rare display of public exultation. Indeed, the successes of “Team GB” produced an upsurge of patriotic rejoicing akin to victory in war. Britai...
Olympic legacy – Reality or Rogue?
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It’s the week after it all ended, and the lack of sport on our television screens has cast a subdued mood over those who spent every minute of the Olympic Games cheering and yelling our British sports men and women on. read more...
Take the Olympics for a spin
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In the wake of the Olympics, commentators jump on the bandwagon to speculate on what London 2012 meant for the European Union. But how serious do we have to take these attempts? ...
EU attempt to impose federal identity 'pitiable'
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The European Union's attempt to jump on the Olympic bandwagon is pitiable and it should give up trying to impose a federal identity, writes Marina Yannakoudakis...
“Nightmare” Games?
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Here at €S we greeted the oncoming prospect of the London 2012 Olympic Games with an examination of whether it really makes sense economically for a city to host them, which came to the daring conclusion: “It depends.” Now they are over...
Future of European Integration: Team EU at the Olympics?
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Twitter account @EU_London2012 (now @EU_sports_team) was counting the gold medals for the EU. Of course, there was no Team EU at the Olympics, but I find it interesting. Questions: 1. Can you imagine the situation when the citizens of the EU from...
Remembering the 1948 London Olympics
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As a successful 2012 Olympics winds to a close, it may be worthwhile remembering that London’s path to hosting the world’s most important sports event was not a smooth one.
Russia: The Ugly Side of Olympic Nationalism
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Olympic gold medal wins by Russian ethnic minorities have angered Russian nationalists.
Timid EU avoids celebrating Olympic success
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Why did European Commission President José Manuel Barroso decide against praising the performance of European athletes at London's Olympic games? His silence speaks volumes, writes Justin Stares...
