25 Amendments of Andreas SCHWAB related to 2014/2158(INI)
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to enforce EU competition rules decisively in the online search market, based on input from all relevant stakeholders and taking into account the entire structure of the digital single market in order to ensure remedies that truly benefit consumers, internet users and online businesses; also calls on the Commission to closely evaluate the implementation by Google of the binding commitments resulting from the agreement of February 2014s; believes abusive dominant positions created by the so-called ‘first mover’ advantages and network effects in the digital sector should be more closely monitored;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Strongly wWelcomes the commitments by Commissioner-designate Vestager in her hearing before given by the new Commissioner in her hearing before Parliament, particularly with regard to the future strengthening of the relationship and engagement withe Parliament; welcomes the comment that free competition and protection against dominant positions in the digital economy is ultimately for the benefit of consumers;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers that the Commission should act to create and ensure a legislative and legally-certain environment conducive to encouraging creativity and innovation for start-ups, micro-enterprises and SMEs;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that timely and adequate implementation of the Directive on antitrust damage actions is essential to evaluate its effect on access to legal action for SMEs and individual consumers; calls on the Commission to monitor closely the implementation of the Directive by the Member States and ensure that its provisions are applied evenly throughout the EU;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes the continuing lack of clarity in many Member States over whether funding for European Consumer Centres is regarded as illegal state funding; is concerned that funding for such centres is being jeopardised as a result; calls on the Commission to inform the Member States as soon as possible about the need to provide notification of such funding in order to guarantee the continued support operations of the European Consumer Centres;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the Commission’s plan to address the challenges which exist in the energy market; emphasises in this context the importance of competition; also emphasises that implementing the competition rules contributes to the sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises that the internal market dimension of competition policy, which is clear from under the Treaty, and the importance of consumer protection in shaping competition policy require stronger cooperation between Parliament’s Internal Market Committee and the Commission.; calls on the Commission to continue the structured dialogue which its predecessor began with Parliament;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates that the Commission cshould consider reallocation of resources from obsolete or underused budget lines towards DG Competition, in order to enable a more proactive stance and increase the capacity for dealing with the number of antitrust investigations;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Looks forward to the results of the Commission’s stocktaking exercise following a decade of Regulation 1/2003 on the implementation of the rules on competition law; calls on the Commission to take appropriate action to align the regulation with the new legal situation, particularly as a result of the adoption of the Directive on Damages Actions;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for the fourth consecutive time for a swiftn end to the state aid crisis regime for the banking sector; recognises that the Commission’s Banking Communication of August 2013 constitutes an important yet insufficient step to protect European taxpayers and limit the amount of aid that banks may receive, and thus contributes to breaking the link between sovereigns and banks; stresses the importance of returning to the conventional application of state aid control as soon as this is viable for the banking sector;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary action to counter the negative effects on competition resulting from tax avoidance and the lack of cross-border transparency; calls for investigations into tax cuts which might constitute illegal state aid to be given priority; emphasises that fairer tax competition is indispensable for the integrity of the internal market, the viability of public finances and equal competition conditions;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to carefully monitor the implementation of this directive by the Member States and ensure that its provisions are applied uniformly throughout the EU;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Stresses the need for measures to prevent the danger of over-compensation in antitrust damages claims; calls on the Commission to give as much consideration, when fines are being set, as national competition authorities to compensation which has already been paid;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Repeats its call for the provisions on the guidelines on setting fines to be integrated into Regulation 1/2003;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Reiterates the call for a review of the Commission guidelines on the setting of fines, in which connection steps should be taken to ensure that companies which break the law do not suffer negative repercussions which go beyond proportionate redress for the offence committed; calls for compensation payments already made to third parties to be taken into account when fines are set;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Emphasises that companies which break the law should be encouraged to settle damages claims out of court before a final decision on the penalty to be imposed on them is taken;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Calls, in that connection, for details to be provided of the conditions subject to which parent companies that exercise a degree of influence over their subsidiaries can be held severally liable for breaches of anti-trust law by the latter even if they themselves were not directly involved;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 e (new)
Paragraph 9 e (new)
9e. Reiterates, with regard to repeat offenders, the call for a clear link to be established between the breach of the law which is being investigated and past breaches committed by the undertaking concerned;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 f (new)
Paragraph 9 f (new)
9f. Notes that the number of requests for fine reduction on account of an inability to pay has increased, particularly from ‘mono-product’ undertakings and SMEs; emphasises the need to revise the guidelines on the setting of fines to take account of the particular circumstances of ‘mono-product’ undertakings and SMEs;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 g (new)
Paragraph 9 g (new)
9g. Takes the view that market dominance achieved by means of expansion, innovation and success is not in itself a competition problem; regards the abuse of a dominant market position, conversely, as a serious competition problem; calls on the Commission, therefore, to continue to safeguard the impartiality and objectivity of competition-related proceedings;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 h (new)
Paragraph 9 h (new)
9h. Calls on the Commission determinedly to address all the matters brought to light in current anti-trust law investigations and to take any measures required to put an end to damaging practices and restore fair competition;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Agrees that effective merger control is an important instrument for the enforcement rules, since it helps to maintain competitive pressure on market participants;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Emphasises the need for a review to determine whether current merger control practice takes account of the internationalisation of markets, in particular as regards the geographical definition of markets; considers that the Commission should take account of the findings of such a review when overhauling the rules on merger control;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Calls on the Commission to check carefully whether there are in fact loopholes in its powers to scrutinise non- controlling minority shareholdings;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the commitments made by the incoming Commissioner during her hearing, in particular as regards the future strengthening of relations with and the closer involvement of Parliament;