EC clears acquisition of Nokia's mobile device business by Microsoft

The European Commission has the duty to assess mergers and acquisitions involving companies with a turnover above certain thresholds (see Article 1 of the Merger Regulation) and to prevent concentrations that would significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area.







The EC has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of most of Nokia Corporation's devices & services business (the "D&S business") by Microsoft Corporation. The D&S business mainly produces and sells smartphones and feature phones.

The Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise any competition concerns, in particular because there are only modest overlaps between the parties' activities.

More information will be available on the competition website, in the Commission's public case register under the case number M.7047.

Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) or how to wipe-out poverty in Europe?

This is a new European Citizens' Initiative that asking the Commission, to encourage cooperation between the Member States (according to Art 156 TFEU) aiming to explore the Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) as a tool to improve their respective social security systems.

The Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) does not replace the welfare state but does complete and transform the same from a compensatory into an emancipatory welfare state. The emancipatory Unconditional Basic Income is defined by the following four criteria: universal, individual, unconditional, high enough to ensure an existence in dignity and participation in society. 

In the long run the objective is to offer to each person in the EU the unconditional right as an individual, to having his/her material needs met to ensure a life of dignity as stated by the EU treaties, and to empower participation in society supported by the introduction of the UBI. 

In the short term, initiatives such as “pilot‐studies“ (Art 156 TFEU) and examination of different models of UBI (EP resolution 2010/2039(INI) §44) should be promoted by the EU.

European cool robots

The EU Robotics Week 2013 has just started!

The European Commission funds over 100 collaborative projects under the 7th Framework Programme on advanced research into robots. The projects aim at helping robots better understand the world around them through sensing, perception, understanding, reasoning and action.

Here are some examples of the best EU-funded Robotics projects:

•   RoboHow – Can a robot learn to make pancakes on its own? The project enables robots to learn on their own how to carry out tasks in human working and living environments by finding instructions online or by observing humans doing them. The goal is to develop robots that can help people in everyday activities, as well as to find out to what extent a robot can learn by itself. 

•   RADHAR – Self-Driving. Driving a wheelchair can be difficult and very tiring. As a result, the user may over-steer the wheelchair or not have enough strength to steer it. The RADHAR (Robotic ADaptation to Humans Adapting to Robots) project has developed an intelligent wheelchair that enables people with cognitive or physical challenges to independently drive around in an everyday-life environment.

•   Stiff-Flop - A Surgical Robot based on an Elephant's Trunk. This robotic arm could be used in keyhole surgery, as it is able to adjust its texture and stiffness to organs inside the human body; it can soften to get through narrow passages and then stiffen again when needed avoiding damage to soft tissue.

•   STRANDS - The Last Robot Standing Wins! STRANDS is an EU-funded project enabling robots to achieve robust and intelligent behaviour in human environments.

•   ROBOFOOT – Robots bring manufacturing back to Europe. The industry for hand-made fashion shoes is one of the important industries in Europe, which faced intense competition from low-cost countries. The EU-funded ROBOFOOT project showed that robots can also be introduced in traditional footwear industry, maintaining most of the current production facilities and help Europe's footwear industry.

I'll end with a quote from Emil Cioran: "Man is a robot with defects."

Court of Justice decided AGAINST the European Commission for the officials' salaries indexation!

Court of Justice of the European Union constitutes the judicial authority of the European Union and, in cooperation with the courts and tribunals of the Member States, it ensures the uniform application and interpretation of European Union law.

In the case open by the European Commission against the European Council the Court decided:

"The Council of the European Union was entitled to reject the Commission’s proposal... intended to increase the salaries of European officials by 1.7% in 2011."

• The story begins in 2011 when the Commission made the proposal to adjust the salaries on its employees with 1,7%.
• The Council, that is the Member States that should be paying for this indexation, rejected the proposal on the grounds of the profound deterioration in the economic and social situation in Europe.
• The Commission opened a case to the Court for the annulment of the Council's decision.
• However, this week, the Court validated the legality of this decision and mandated the Commission to submit a new proposal for the indexation method. 

So, there will be no raise given to the european civil servant's salary! 

We will be waiting for new strikes, manifestations and multiple calls for rise & "fight for our rights of European officials" shouted by the many employment syndicats flourishing in Bruxelles...see my blog post with strikes from 2012 (Greva la Comisia Europeana)


Find out more about the Judgment in Cases C-63/12, C-66/12 and C-196/12 in the press releases on the CURIA website: http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/Jo2_16799 
Some general info on salaries of European servants are in my blog post: Some info about our salaries :)

Europe - whenever you’re ready

Tourism has an important role in restoring economic growth in Europe. EU countries account for over 39% of global arrivals, making the EU the world's number one tourist destination. 

Europe – whenever you’re ready, is a campaign by the EU tourism to highlight the diversity Europe offers travellers and tourists, at any time of the year.


Check the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Europe.whenever.youre.ready

Do we want to improve Europe, or give it up?

This week EC president Barroso delivered the 4th State of the Union Address in the European Parliament, and what is being called the Case for Europe.

"My answer is clear', he continued: 'Engage! If you don't like Europe as it is: improve it!

As any human endeavor the EU is not perfect. Controversies about the division of labour between the national and European levels will never be conclusively ended. 

Not everything needs a solution at European level. Europe must focus on where it can add most value. It does not have to meddle where this is not the case. 

The EU needs to be big on big things and smaller on smaller things."

The key messages are ready for your dissemination and/or debate!