COMPETITION : ALMUNIA JUSTIFIES STRICT POLICY LINE.

To overcome the economic slump, the EU needs to ban protectionism and strengthen the single market - in particular by being very strict about applying competition rules, Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a speech, on 17 January in Bruges, Belgium.

Almunia is convinced that "the single market is our best asset and our most powerful lever to achieve growth," and any defensive approach, such as support for national champions - in response to the growth of emerging economies and the "sceptical views that come from the growing populist camp" - "represent a real danger for the future of European integration". Almunia also points out the fragmentation of certain sectors, which is stalling the completion of the single market. He mentioned energy, the services sector - including financial services - the digital industries and the telecoms markets in which he aims to reinforce competition control to counterbalance member states that are blocking the process through a tendency to favour incumbent operators over smaller operators and new operators.

Almunia also justified his firmness about cartels, especially when they lead to abuse of dominant position. He is, for instance, keeping a close eye on Samsung or Nokia, which are allegedly using their patents - key for mobile telecoms - to contest competitors' use of licences that have been validated by international standards and to block their products via judicial proceedings. Meanwhile, Google's competitors, who are behind the complaint for abuse of dominant position, have been attacking Almunia for his lack of firmness, and have complained about his strategy to reach an amicable arrangement with Google - dragging out the affair rather than going down the "traditional" formal infringement procedure route.

"Bad aid"

It is a case of who will have the last word. Several states - with France at the helm, along with the UK and Germany - are calling for the relaxation of the EU's competition policy. The commissioner has received...