GT Newsletter | Competition Currents | September 2020

1. Final conclusions on the acquisition of Hing Swearth Oil Company by Tennessee's gas station sales method

On August 12, 2020, the FTK acknowledged the latest conclusions that Tri Star Energy, LLC's specific assets related to HollingsWorth Oil Company, Inc. did not comply with the Federal Exclusive Law. For example, how Tri Star controls Hingsworth's fuel and the area around Tennessee's "Clock" store. The PTK claims that the proposed acquisition will harm the competition in the retail field of gasoline and diesel combustibles in the tw o-district Tennessy market, leading to an exclusive merger. According to Oguchi Transactions, Tristar agreed to transfer retail fuel assets to White Call, Green Blayer and Cox Oil. With the acquisition of Hingsworth, 10 days after the end of the transaction. Tristar also agreed to maintain the competitiveness of these transferred assets by the end of the prescribed period.

2. Alco Holdings has solved the position of the acquisition of the Empire Petrorian by selling gas stations in Indiana, Michigan, Maryland, and Texas.

25 in August 2020, Arco Holdings LTD. (Arco Holdings LTD. and Empire Petroleum Partners, LLC, LLC will eliminate the substantial claims of PTK that the acquisition of Arco Company Empire will not comply with the Federal Exclusive Law. According to the ptk claims to resolve gasoline and light oil resale retail businesses in the state, the acquisition of the seven gasoline resale stores: Indiana, Michigan, Maryland, and Texas. Inhibition, ARKO and the Empire are independently operating in the area in all three data, at least, in all three data and at least rivals. It is obliged to purchase a Company empire and give a transitional provision to customers who transfer to characteristics 15 months later.

3. The final incentive when Caesters Entertainment acquires Eldorado Resorts for $ 17. 3 billion.

On August 26, 2020, FTK was announced earlier, following this order, in accordance with this order, the parties are in the southern Lake of Nevada and the Bossetta Shurivolta area of ​​Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc. It is required to transfer related assets. Prior to this, the settlement of the FTC was reflected in the League's current information bulletin in July 2020.

B. Department of Justice (DOJ)

1. Alleges Conspiracy to Prevent Competition in Central Pennsylvania Hospitals.

On August 5, 2020, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit challenging Geisinger Health Hospitals' partial acquisition of Evangelical Community Hospital. Geisinger is a large hospital system in central and northeastern Pennsylvania that competes closely with Evangelical, an independent community hospital in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, for acute care for many patients. In a six-county area in central Pennsylvania, Evangelical and Geisinger together account for approximately 71% of the market. The complaint alleges that in February 2019, the parties, knowing that the merger would violate antitrust laws, entered into a partial acquisition agreement that would create commercially and competitively significant collaborations between the hospitals that would significantly reduce the incentives for friend-versus-friend competition in the central Pennsylvania fixed hospital services market, significantly lessen competition, and subject the hospitals to unreasonable restraints of trade.

2. Court approves termination of 70-year-old decision regarding movie theater distribution.

On August 7, 2020, the Southern District of New York federal court granted the Department of Justice's motion to terminate a consent agreement with Paramount Pictures that has restricted movie theater distribution procedures for some movie theaters for more than 70 years. In its petition, the Department of Justice argued that the conspiracies and anticompetitive practices that existed when the Department of Justice sued the film industry in 1938 no longer exist, and that new technologies have created a variety of platforms for movies that did not exist at that time, such as cable and terrestrial television, DVDs, and services for watching and downloading movies. Among other things, the Paramount consent agreement required movie studios to separate their operations with respect to rental activities and also prohibited various methods of movie distribution, such as block booking, circuit trading, resale price maintenance, and providing exclusive licenses for movies to certain territories. The Court stayed its decisions, except for the two-year termination period of the decisions on block booking and circuit trading, effective August 7, to ensure an orderly commercial transition period for these practices.

3. The Department of Justice has resolved CenturyLink's alleged violations.

On August 14, 2020, the allegations of the U. S. Department of Justice and the Century Link Co., Ltd. did not follow Century Links to the court's conclusions designed to warn the ant i-competitive effect, and as a result, level 3 Communications. It was proved to have purchased a company. The Judice of the Justice in 2018, as a huge provider for wired communication proposals in the United States, contacts the former level 3 buyer who has decided to move his account to the client approved by the Judicial Ministry. It was actually fulfilled that it did not comply with the court's conclusion. Previously, the conclusion was issued to resale of the company to change the lost competitiveness by the purchaser Century Link Level 3. The reconciliation has expanded the ban on injuming to the Moscow Statistics (SSZ) voice, appointed an independent observer, and to compensate the Ministry of Justice to compensate for investigations by the Ministry of Justice for violating the Century Link Order of the Century Link Order. The court's conclusions issued earlier on the essential century link for the century link are configured.

4. Votex Commercial Flooring will accept guilty and pay a total of $ 4 million as part of a nationally investigated national conspiracy in a paid flooring bidding offer and product auction.

On August 27, 2020, the US Department of Justice was involved in the proposal of paid rugs sold in the United States and the bidding of rugs, and was involved in the lon g-term ant i-monopoly consolidation for settlement. He prosecuted Vortex Commercial Flooring Inc. Volteex agreed to accept guilty, fines and nonpayment of compensation and to cooperate as part of the current investigation of the U. S. Department of Justice. As consistent from the claims that make up the first paragraph, Voltex and former defendants participate in conspiracy to suppress and destroy competition in the paid flooring market, complicated with other individuals and companies. Agreement on the provision of the service, and as a result, the appointed company has acquired a contract.

C. Trial in the United States

1. Humana Inc. Conversely, Mallinckrod Ard, LLC, Case No. 2: 19-CV-06926 (C. D. Cal. Aug. 14, 2020).

On August 14, 2020, the California County County Office rejected Marine Crod from the dismissal case and acknowledged that the configuration would filed a composition in his own complaint. Humana said that Marine Clot would participate in a scheme aimed at not actually allow the bazaar to the company's product, and preserve the monopoly of the baby's child's actar. She again described Marine Crod's medical professionals, so they would write a product, and in his opinion, he followed "kickback."

2. In the violation of the Guremeza monopoly law. Case number C-19-05822 (n. D. Cal. Aug. 15, 2020).

On August 15, 2020, the court certified a direct customer group in many US affairs. This was caused in 2012 that a paten t-based lawsuit was settled between the manufacturer and the product of the Guremeza diabetes drugs. As part of this reconciliation, Lupine, who has developed a no n-distributed product of the diabetes treatment drug "Guremeza", will sell its own no n-distributed product "Guremeza" since 2016, four years before the patent exposure. I made a resolution. The plaintiffs have stated that the brand manufacturer will not release Guremzer's own approval generic drug six months later, six months later, until Lupine withdraws from Bazaar. The plaintiff has stated that the agreement has risen to $ 51 to $ 51 tablets per tablet for $ 51 tablets. Customers who purchase tablets directly have filed a corporate lawsuit.

3. Mish Intele Monetary Opposite Vega Capital London, LTD. Case Number 1: 20-CV-04577 (n. D. Ill.

On August 4, 2020, the Mish International Petroleum Industries dealt with Vega Capital because Vega Capital was the first time in April 2020 that the futures agreement with Westantehase oil turned negative. A federal business lawsuit was filed in northern state. According to a lawsuit, Vega operated the market with others to lead the cost of negative values ​​such as the illegal preparation modeling of the market, which had the advantage of reaching $ 500 million. A huge advantage to get futures values. It is not at least 10 investors related to Vega Capital, but together with the bold resale of other tools related to WTI futures contracts (including calculations) in May 2020 and May 2020. It is a consistent. This is the latest of some unprecedented lo w-rates for West Tehass oil futures trading.

4. Trone Health Servs. TegenGestelde Express Scripts Holding Co, ____ F. 3D _____, 2020 WL 5268511 (8E CIR. 4 September 2020).

Express Skripz Holding has won the Retail Pharmacy Group's trial, which has appealed that the company is trying to monopolize the market share of pharmacies by illegally using its customer information and deprives customers. The pharmacy of Trone Health Service Co., Ltd. and Ledish Pharmacy Co., Ltd. tried to monopolize based on the compromise of contracts, illegal diversion of paid shuffle, and explicit scripts to register buyers at their own mail order pharmacy. Services that could not be rationally sued were spoken in the latter half of the 8th. According to the court's opinion, the plaintiff could not justify that the explicit script did not have permission to introduce the buyer's information to directly contact, but they are still bazaars. It is considered a prerequisite to support the appeal of the monopoly plaintiff.

The Netherlands

On August 18, 2020, the College Van Beroo Ep Voor Het Bed Nafsleven reduced the fine of the Netherlands and the ACM of the Netherlands. The fines imposed on the company were initially 1 million euros, but were reduced to 10. 000 euros. ACM called on the court to reduce the fines due to the epidemic of COVID-19 and the special living conditions related to the results. The company had been waiting for the final ruling for a while, but the irreparable fine could lead to bankruptcy.

In 2017, ACM accepting the conclusion that three companies had concluded a confidentially unpalated contract for the competition, and imposed a fine in response. The Rotterdam Court supported ACM's conclusion, but has reduced the fine to 1 million euros in the 2018 trial, but has not yet been published. The company is trying to prevent the publication of the forced collection conclusion. As a result of this conclusion, the AC M-Court, for example, has clearly paid a fine, and is obliged to return 990. 000 euros to the company. Instead of reducing the fine amount, the company clearly stated why he filed a complaint. In other words, the no n-compliance under the antitrust law is the final, and the third party has obtained any opportunity to make a civil claim for damages. This case may affect the results of other fine and are likely to be reduced.

United Kingdom

A. England management in competition and market (CMA).

1. Survey on antitrust law

On August 21, 2020, the CMA completed a survey on the violation of antitrust laws by several parties in the rest and entertainment proposal field. The survey was started in August 2019, relating to the anonymous stakeholders and alleged abuse of dominant position in the market. CMA mentioned administrative value as a condition for the end of the incident.

2. Management of merger

On August 24, 2020, CMA decided to acquire PLAID VISA for $ 5. 3 billion. PLAID VISA is a platform provider for emerging companies specializing in developing infrastructure, which provides contact between digital applications and personal bank accounts. In the UK, PLAID will give customers a payment start (PI) that enables customers to pay directly from the application link or member store website, and suggests Internet paying that supports credit card or debit cards. According to the CMA conclusion, it stipulates a singl e-stage resolution, and in fact, the playde represents all the huge competitiveness for visas in this fresh, but growing field. , Some other powerful PIS vendors in the British market provide the competitiveness necessary for visa and confusion. The CMA also has a powerful position in card payments, but there are other card payment suppliers, as a result, played rivals have some other probability to provide PIS proposals. I judged that it would be.

B. Adjusting the actions of other regulatory authorities and CMA behavior to evaluate the same position

On August 21, 2020, the CMA decided on the recruitment of legal defense measures in the rules 1 to justify the purchase of the STRYKER WRIGHT MEDICAL, 1st Stryker Rivals in the supply field of the ankle joint replacement supplies. I issued a notice to extend. With this notice, the deadline set by the CMA was extended almost two months. The purpose of the extension is to give CMA a conclusion that the purchase is assessed by other jurisdiction regulators and the opportunity to match the conditions of the product.

C. Complaints on the penalty

The English Competition Appeals Court (CAT) gave the JD Sports Fashion (JD) site until September 1, 2020, when a 30 0-yea r-old fine. JD Control Management and PropoSals (CMA (CMA)) was imposed on JD for JD not complying with JD acquiring a retail business to resell FootAsylum sports shoes in 2019. He appealed for 300, 000 pounds for a fine. In accordance with the British merger system, JD did not prior approval for the acquisition, but CMA exercised his rights and then involved in the acquisition, and integrated Footasylum into JD until the CMA resolution ended. Not that, he issued an order to ask JD to not manage the work. Later, Futta Siram announced the closing of the first store, and was fined, not justified that this conclusion was autonomously accepted by JD. The checkpoint was on September 1st, and the date on the conclusions on fines was contested between CMA and JD. In fact, the checkpoint concluded that the conclusions on July 29, 2020 without the signature of the CMA JD were determined to be the final conclusion, and as a result, the final deadline is not August 25, but September 2020. It was one day.

3. Market research.

On August 13, 2020, CMA announced a preliminary conclusion and legal defense proposal following a survey of funeral bidding in England on March 28, 2019. If there is a concern that the bazaar is actually operated in inefficient, CMA includes a similar survey and includes the right to use the extent of a wide range of defense mean s-using these to competitors. There is no need to doubt no n-compliance with competition. The preliminary conclusion of CMA is that in this market, the level of employment involvement is low due to complex living conditions such as a funeral offer. Apart from this, the information provided by burials of the bureau that covers the cost of proposals and quality is not considered useful and clearly comparable. Apart from this, the funeral company has little information about the quality of the traveling travel of the dead, the bazaar proposed from the crematorium, the highest obstacle, and concentrates on a company with different crematoriums. It turned out to be. CMA proposed some measures to improve the position of funeral companies and crematorium operators regarding prices, proposals, and accessories.

However, the SMA concluded that these defense methods, which do not pay attention to the need for reform of the section, do not have all the chances to be captured by the standards of the country's modern emergency history. He refers to the COVID-19 epidemic, which has created an "insurmountable obstacle" to develop and implement appropriate reforms, and with this significant increase in demand for burials, it complicates the reception of important information for the investigation and limits the government's ability to test the proposed measures and predict future benefits. The CMA does not include the right to temporarily suspend or extend the investigation, which will lead to the carrying out of a supplementary investigation when conditions are more favorable. (i) The CMA's forecasts of the section, based on the main cash data, which funeral parlours and crematorium operators are obliged to submit quarterly, (ii) the undertaking by funeral parlours and crematorium operators of the proposals and proposals packages they will offer to their customers, in the form of covering their costs. 4. New developments and phrases

A. Antitrust investigations CMA proceedings

On August 5, 2020, the CMA published proposed administrative changes to its investigation proceedings. The main components refer to increased transparency in the initiation of CMA cases and the provision of information on proposed fines at the same time as the publication of the CMA Statement of Objections, which sets out the counterarguments against companies for which an investigation is conducted. The plan also sets out the procedure for disclosing part of the evidence, the process for dispute resolution, and the scope of the responsibilities of the Procedural Inspector. The plan is closed for consultation until September 10, 2020, and may be irrevocably finalized shortly.

B. COVID-19 cancellation and return of funds.

On August 28, 2020, the CMA made a new publication confirming its view that customers are generally entitled to a return of funds if they have paid for offers or products that are not likely to be provided due to the pandemic. The publication discusses two different scenarios.

- If the contract is unlikely to be fulfilled due to blocking laws (e. g. safeguard rules), the CMA will wait for the client to receive absolute compensation. If blocking laws only partially affect the contract, the buyer may have the right to return funds or reduce the value, depending on the event and the scale of the impact.

-Mover has the right to return money for the appointment of the government according to a specific event. If the monetization of parcels is delayed in a specific direction for governments that do not visit this purpose, there is a special defend. However, if the government's parliament does not have the ability to fulfill the contract, the buyer may never have the right to refund. In this case, companies are obliged to open and experience their customers in the amount they want to find a mutual conclusion.

C. Package Entertainment and Popular Journey

One of the recent issues that CMA has evaluated is that some of the popular travelers have refused to request a refund from group travelers, despite the fact that only individual travelers actually require a refund. It is related to the fact that it is. CMA explains in a notification targeting individual companies that the criteria for package travel are actually applied to square, for example, personal sightseeing bags.

B. Judicial practice

On August 20, 2020, the SUBLIME TRIBUNAL OF GREAT BRITAIN in the UK made shor t-term orders to the Royal Mail Group, RMG. This suspension order is based on RMG, as part of a litigation that has been proposed to a company PreventX, which provides remote diagnosis tests, provides information to partners, and proposes sexual activity methods (IPP) (IPP). It was done. PreventX uses RMG Free Post proposals that enable customers to put the standard in prepaid packages and send them by e-mail in a lo w-cost mailbox to prevent buyers. We agreed with RMG to avoid sending its own standard. In February 2020, RMG Preventx actually belongs to a category that the standard is not safe, and the name, address, and "Tracked" on the label, and in the RMG rules He has stated that it needs to be significantly submitted. < SPAN> -The buyer has the right to return money for the appointment of the government according to a specific event. If the monetization of parcels is delayed in a specific direction for governments that do not visit this purpose, there is a special defend. However, if the government's parliament does not have the ability to fulfill the contract, the buyer may never have the right to refund. In this case, companies are obliged to open and experience their customers in the amount they want to find a mutual conclusion.

C. Package Entertainment and Popular Journey

One of the recent issues that CMA has evaluated is that some of the popular travelers have refused to request a refund from group travelers, despite the fact that only individual travelers actually require a refund. It is related to the fact that it is. CMA explains in a notification targeting individual companies that the criteria for package travel are actually applied to square, for example, personal sightseeing bags.

B. Judicial practice

On August 20, 2020, the SUBLIME TRIBUNAL OF GREAT BRITAIN in the UK made shor t-term orders to the Royal Mail Group, RMG. This suspension order is based on RMG, as part of a litigation that has been proposed to a company PreventX, which provides remote diagnosis tests, provides information to partners, and proposes sexual activity methods (IPP) (IPP). It was done. PreventX uses RMG Free Post proposals that enable customers to put the standard in prepaid packages and send them by e-mail in a lo w-cost mailbox to prevent buyers. We agreed with RMG to avoid sending its own standard. In February 2020, RMG Preventx actually belongs to a category that the standard is not safe, and the name, address, and "Tracked" on the label, and in the RMG rules He has stated that it needs to be significantly submitted. -Mover has the right to return money for the appointment of the government according to a specific event. If the monetization of parcels is delayed in a specific direction for governments that do not visit this purpose, there is a special defend. However, if the government's parliament does not have the ability to fulfill the contract, the buyer may never have the right to refund. In this case, companies are obliged to open and experience their customers in the amount they want to find a mutual conclusion.

Poland

C. Package Entertainment and Popular Journey

One of the recent issues that CMA has evaluated is that some of the popular travelers have refused to request a refund from group travelers, despite the fact that only individual travelers actually require a refund. It is related to the fact that it is. CMA explains in a notification targeting individual companies that the criteria for package travel are actually applied to square, for example, personal sightseeing bags.

B. Judicial practice

On August 20, 2020, the SUBLIME TRIBUNAL OF GREAT BRITAIN in the UK made shor t-term orders to the Royal Mail Group, RMG. This suspension order is based on RMG, as part of a litigation that has been proposed to a company PreventX, which provides remote diagnosis tests, provides information to partners, and proposes sexual activity methods (IPP) (IPP). It was done. PreventX uses RMG Free Post proposals that enable customers to put the standard in prepaid packages and send them by e-mail in a lo w-cost mailbox to prevent buyers. We agreed with RMG to avoid sending its own standard. In February 2020, RMG Preventx actually belongs to a category that the standard is not safe, and the name, address, and "Tracked" on the label, and in the RMG rules He has stated that it needs to be significantly submitted.

Displaying "Tracked" in the label is a proposal that may be afraid of customers, because it is a proposal that may not be confident, and a shor t-term notification of postage. Sudden rise can lead to the elimination of samples. The company explained that RMG abused the dominant status in the market, performed an IPP inspection set and a ruthless shipment / reverse sent E-mail offer. In fact, the High Court determined that this was a serious problem that should be fully considered. He pointed out that the execution of the RMG claim could cover Probentex's reputation and the trust of buyers, and in fact, compensation would be a lack of legal defense. As a result, the RMG-order was made to Preventex so as not to refuse proposals to Freipost.

C. Brexit

The UK will officially leave the EU on December 31, 2019. During the transition period adjusted to the EU in the EU withdrawal agreement, EU law will continue to be used in England. This migration will end on December 31, 2020. At this point, England's antitrust law system will be operated autonomously from the EU system. In other words, for the study of large merger, which is still the subject of the EU, England will own another jurisdiction, and England can investigate antitrust violations in parallel with the EU. The England government emphasizes how to support CMA and other antitrust organizations, and ensures that the scale of the case is expanding. However, there is no need to take advantage of the CMA in early 2019 to provide services to reform the competitive system of England from CMA. If these projects were sold, it would be almost impossible to see that they had entered the flow from January 1, 2021.

Italy

A. UOKIK's highest executive Officer will impose a fine of 115 million euros (about 27 million euros) to the Biedronka chain store.

On August 5, 2020, the defense of the buyer right (UOKIK) was 115 million Zeronimo-Martins-Porska and Poland's famous Biewronka-Supermarket holders (Uokik). $ 30 million) imposed a fine. Woquick violated the practice of displaying prices different from the cashier on the shelf or generally not reflected on shelves. This practice has been done in Viedronka for several years.

UKIK's intervention was a complaint from many consumers and information provided by local trading examiners, regarding violations related to prices in the Bidronka chain shop. In addition to the fine, the Bidronka chain shop has an obligation to inform consumers of their rights when the price of the product shelf is different. The decision is not the final, but can appeal to the competition and consumer rights protection court.

B. President B. Uokiku has finished 213 million to the Gas Promen in Russian gas promotes by 213 million euros.

European Union Commission

On July 29, 2020, UOKIK is about the construction and financing of the Northern Stream 2 Project (1. 220 km lon g-length 1. 220 km from the Russian coast to the Germany through the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast). Approximately 213 million Zurochi (US $ 57 million), as the agreement has refused to cooperate as part of the process that clarifies whether it has been concluded in violation of Polish rules for merger monitoring. I imposed the sanctions. Agreement on the construction of the North Stream 2 Project (220 km in length from the Russian coast to the Germany from the Russian coast to the Germany) concluded between Gas Prom and its European partners, violates Poland's merger monitoring rules In other words, he refused to cooperate as a part of the process to clarify whether he was concluded without the consent of the UKIK monopoly. The lawsuit was filed for Gasprom OJSC (Russia), Engi Energy (France), Unipples (Germany), Vinter Shall (Germany), OMV (Austria), and Anglo Dutch Scale (Austria).

During the procedure, the president of Wakiku requested gas promenally with other joint ventures on the transfer, distribution, sales, supply, and storage of other joint ventures. However, these documents did not reach out. President Ukiku has discovered that the gasprom has not even requested the Russian Ministry to respond to UKik's request. According to Wukick, this was an intentional act. Penalties for prevention are equivalent to the highest level in Polish law, that is, 50 million euros.

China

Gasprom said, "It became the second company that was fined by UOKIK for refusing to cooperate in this matter. In 2019, 172 million Zurochi ($ 45 million) to another participating company, ENGIE ENERGY. A fine was imposed.

A. ICA survey on the abuse proposal of dominant status in the maritime power transmission market of the Meshin Ski Strait.

On August 4, 2020, the Italian Antimonopoly Authority (ICA) opened an investigation against Caronte & Tourist S. P. A. in ferry transport on the Strait of Messino. The investigation reveals that Caronte holds a dominant position in the market for maritime passenger transport by rubber vehicles and chauffeured commercial vehicles on the Strait of Messino, is a virtual monopoly on the route Villa San Giovanni-Messin, and applies excessive prices and contract terms in violation of Italian antitrust law. In particular, according to the ICA, the prices used by Caronte (I) are significantly higher than those applied by other operators and are not related to the hypothetical costs of providing the service.

B. MAC's Authorization to Purchase 500 BPER Branches from UBI.

The ICA approved the acquisition by Bper Banca S. P. A. (BPER) on August 4, 2020. Bper Banca S. P. A. is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and leads the banking group of the same name, which is active in the provision of banking, financial and insurance products. The operation follows the acquisition of Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP), one of the leading Italian banks based in UBI. The transfer of the aforementioned branches is carried out by ISP to implement some of the measures introduced by the ICA to address concerns over the UBI acquisition. The acquisition was approved by the ICA due to the absence of significant horizontal overlaps and potential vertical competition issues.

According to the list of State aid cases published on the European Commission's dedicated website, in August 2020, the European Commission considered approximately 90 cases for measures related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, on August 27, 2020, the European Commission decided not to object to some measures implemented by Romania to support small and medium-sized enterprises and some related large companies to overcome the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. On the eve of the meeting, the European Commission approved an amendment to the scheme implemented by Hungary, which had already been approved in July. Under the amended umbrella scheme, direct subsidies can be received for investments aimed at maintaining jobs or creating new jobs. On August 4, 2020, the Italian Antimonopoly Authority (ICA) opened an investigation against Caronte & Tourist S. P. A. in ferry transport in the Strait of Messino. The investigation reveals that Caronte holds a dominant position in the market for maritime passenger transport by rubber vehicles and chauffeured commercial vehicles in the Strait of Messino, is a virtual monopoly on the route Villa San Giovanni-Messin, and applies excessive prices and contract terms that violate Italian antitrust law. In particular, according to the ICA, the prices used by Caronte (I) are significantly higher than those applied by other operators and are not related to the hypothetical costs of providing the service; B. Authorization of MAC to purchase BPER 500 branches from UBI.

Japan

The ICA approved the acquisition by Bper Banca S. P. A. (BPER) on August 4, 2020. Bper Banca S. P. A. is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and leads the banking group of the same name, actively offering banking, financial and insurance products. The operation follows the acquisition of Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP), one of the leading Italian banks based in UBI. The transfer of the aforementioned branches is carried out by ISP to implement some of the measures introduced by the ICA to address concerns over the UBI acquisition. The acquisition was approved by the ICA due to the absence of significant horizontal overlaps and potential vertical competition issues.

According to the list of State aid cases published on the European Commission's dedicated website, in August 2020, the European Commission considered around 90 cases for measures related to the COVID-19 outbreak. So, on August 27, 2020, the European Commission decided not to object to some measures implemented by Romania to support small and medium-sized enterprises and some related large companies to overcome the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. On the eve of that, the Commission approved the amendment of the scheme implemented by Hungary, which had already been approved in July. Under the amended umbrella scheme, direct subsidies can be received for investments aimed at maintaining jobs or creating new jobs. On August 4, 2020, the Italian Antimonopoly Authority (ICA) opened an investigation against Caronte & Tourist S. P. A. in ferry transport in the Strait of Messino. The investigation reveals that Caronte holds a dominant position in the market for maritime passenger transport by rubber vehicles and chauffeured commercial vehicles in the Strait of Messino, a virtual monopoly on the route Villa San Giovanni-Messin, and applies excessive prices and contract terms that violate Italian antitrust law. In particular, according to the ICA, the prices used by Caronte (I) are significantly higher than those applied by other operators and are not related to the hypothetical costs of providing the services.

B. Authorization of MAC to purchase 500 BPER branches from UBI.

On August 4, 2020, the ICA approved the acquisition by Bper Banca S. P. A. (BPER), listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and leading the banking group of the same name, active in the provision of banking, financial and insurance products. The business follows the acquisition of Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP), one of the leading Italian banks based in UBI. The transfer of the aforementioned branches is carried out by ISP to implement some of the measures introduced by the ICA to dispel concerns about the UBI acquisition. The acquisition was approved by the ICA due to the absence of significant horizontal overlaps and potential vertical competition issues.