Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-23-Speech-1-115"
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"en.20001023.9.1-115"2
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"Several Members – Mrs Riis-Jørgensen, Mr Schmidt, Mr Blokland and Mrs Kauppi – have posed the problem of large companies operating in relatively small countries. Could we not relax the definition of the relevant market there, when it comes to merger operations? Well, if the relevant market, on the basis of the analysis conducted, happens to be national in scope, you must realise that doing what you suggest would amount to discrimination against the consumers and customers in those national markets. What we have to work together for is to gradually establish in the marketplace the reality of a single market going beyond the national market. Otherwise we would be serving our purpose of helping competition and the consumers in a perverse way.
I add, in relation to the specific Volvo-Scania case that I am sure underlies many speakers’ remarks, that both companies have been able to reach solutions that make their own further international growth compatible with the protection of the interests of competition and consumers in those markets.
Should we introduce a panel of independent experts to assess mergers? The recourse to external expertise can be useful and already takes place in a number of cases. But the Commission should not and will not give its ultimate responsibility of taking decisions to an external body. It belongs to us. It may, on occasion, be uncomfortable, but this is our task.
Concerning the problem of one DG Competition official who resigned, I have already expressed my regret about that resignation. Further increasing the right of defence, the transparency of the procedures, including the enhanced position of the hearing officer, is something to which I am very much attached and upon which I am reflecting, taking into account several inputs including the useful ideas provided by that official before he resigned.
As far as Korea is concerned, Mr Lamy, who will be coming here during the course of the week, will be better placed to update you on the latest developments. I can only, for my part, state my conviction that any extension of operating state aids to shipyards would not be the appropriate response to a situation that requires other types of intervention.
Mr Evans, I very much share your concern on the issue of state aids to financial services. We will pursue that point with determination.
Mr Rapkay, it has been extremely important for the Commission to have the support of the European Parliament in pursuit of its competition policy and I do not feel that this support may fade away. Looking at the resolutions we are discussing today, I see the Commission’s policy as very much in line with a vigorous implementation of those resolutions. In the area notably of state aids, it must not be thought that the Commission believes in a pure or ultra-liberal policy. State aids have their place but it is a fact that in many cases the concrete manifestation of state aids goes well beyond what the Treaty allows and what the guidelines allow. But believe me, I certainly see competition policy as an instrument of a social market economy. The stronger the implementation of competition the better the market tends to be. There is full scope for social aspects provided they are not mixed up in a non-transparent way with the functioning of the market."@en1
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