Alex Taylor hosts I talk, the new programme on Euronews where the public question Europe’s decisions makers. This week’s guest is Joaquin Almunia, the European Commissioner for Competition
Alex Taylor: “The first question. The free market is a fundamental principal of the EU, why do you think it is necessary to monitor competition?”
Joaquin Almunia: “Because when there’s a free market, there are operators in the market – companies, business in other words – that do not respect the rules and we need to make sure those rules are followed.”
Alex Taylor: “Now let’s turn to questions from viewers. First question from Rebecca in London.”
Rebecca: “How you’re going to protect the consumers against rising food prices?”
Alex Taylor: “It’s true that inflation is making a reappearance. Can the European Commission do anything in 27 countries to control inflation?”
Joaquin Almunia: “Yes, were doing several things. On one side there is monetary policy, economic policy but in terms of competition there are things we can do against cartels.Whenever we refuse to allow a cartel it means we’re trying to stop prices from snowballing.”
Alex Taylor: “Give us an example of when the European Commission did something?”
Joaquin Almunia: “Recently it has adopted many decisions on cartels. For example, one manufacturer who make screens we use every day made an arrangement to fix prices.”
Alex Taylor: “What can you do? Do you intervene at a national level, do you get together with other finance ministers. In real terms what does that mean?”
Joaquin Almunia: “In the case of cartels, we carry out business inspections. We go to corporate offices. We look at the emails, hard drives. We look for documents. We make investigations and if we prove that there was an agreement to fix prices or control the market we refuse to accept the cartel and impose fines.”
Alex Taylor: “Fines of how much exactly.”
Joaquin Almunia: “Last year we handed out three billion euros in fines.”
Alex Talor: “The second question is from Alex in Greece”.
Alex: “How can you tackle countries in difficult positions like Greece and Portugal. What can you do?
Alex Taylor: “The list is getting longer and longer. As competition commissioner, what can you do?”
Joaquin Almunia: “As a commissioner, in countries like Greece and Irelanc, which are suffering financial difficulties we keep tax payers money to save the banks.”
Alex Taylor: “What does that mean exactly?”
Joaquin Almunia: “For example, the banks in Greece, some of them had to agree to restructuring because they were given public money to survive. And public money must be used effectively, banks must be restructured to be viable in the future. The money used to rescue banks should be well distributed and that’s what we’re doing.”
Alex Taylor: “We now have Ilse, who is Belgian. She has a question for you.”
Ilse: “What measures is the European Commission taking to defend the plurity of the market?”
Joaquin Almunia: “On the one hand we’ve got a policy to tackle monopolies and against the overdominance in the market.
“We investigate businesses. As soon as one of them does something which will extend its authorityin the market over its competitors or if it doesn’t follow the rules then we stop its operations.”
Alex Taylor: “You have to deal with big businesses and national policy. Each country has its own policies?
Joaquin Almunia: “As far as applying competition rules on businesses the member states don’t have any input. The EU commission makes the decisions and if the infractions break their own rules then its national authority who react.
“But we are independent of the government in terms of using public money there is public policy action that is good…for example, giving public money to research.
“But giving funds to a business for profit that comes under the exclusive control of the EU commission.”
Alex Taylor: “You say: “well, it’s good, it’s not good” … who decides?”
Joaquin Almunia: “We do, there’s legislation that has been established by treaties and also rules which have come about as a result of an application of those treaties bit by bit.
Alex Taylor: “A question in Spanish Josep.”
Josep: “How can we solve the problem with microsoft?”
Alex Taylor: “Microsoft is huge. The United States and Europe had the same problems. How can wer in Europe tackle such a big business?”
Joaquin Almunia: “The Commission acted against Microsoft when Microsoft did not respect the competition rules. We obliged them to carry publicity from other search engines as well as Internet Explorer.
“There are millions of users who now have chosen another search web engine that is not Microsoft.
“We can continue in this sense. For example, we’re doing an investigation into Google. And also one on Intel and have already imposed a fine because they had a monopoly.
“We are constantly enlarging the scope of competition rules as a result of these new activities new developments which are important and interesting for us all. But also carry the risk of creating monopolies.”
Alex Taylor: “Another question to the Commissioner for competition from Silvia who is also Spanish.”
Silvia: “I am Spanish and I live in France. How do you propose to keep Spain safe during the financial crisis? And how do you propose to help young people find work?”
Alex Taylor: “You are Spanish yourself. Can you save your county?”
Joaquin Almunia: “No. My country needs to save itself. And they are doing it. I think the decisions made in Spain over the last year – the labour market reform, the fiscal consolidation, pension reform, the reform of the banking system – these are very important measures that are now in the process of producing the right results.
“As the economy improves there will be more change for young people, everyone to have a job.”
Alex Taylor: “A written question on the italk website from the Shadow, who is German. “Is the Euro stable? And will it remain our currency?
Joaquin Almunia: “Of course, the Euro is here to stay.”
Alex Taylor: “But there are some doubts about it?”
Joaquin Almunia: “I once described the euro like a couple in the old days when divorce did not exist. With the euro there is no divorce. You could theoretically pull out of the Euro but I can not imagine a country that would dare do this and would say that it’s better inside the Euro than outside.”
Alex Taylor: “But there are a lot of couples arguing at the moment.”
Joaquin Almunia: “There is the economic crisis but the crisis was not caused by the Euro. The Euro will helps us come through the crisis and the test is there are many countries on the fringes of the Eurozone who would like to be inside.”
Source: http://www.euronews.net
Alex Taylor: “The first question. The free market is a fundamental principal of the EU, why do you think it is necessary to monitor competition?”
Joaquin Almunia: “Because when there’s a free market, there are operators in the market – companies, business in other words – that do not respect the rules and we need to make sure those rules are followed.”
Alex Taylor: “Now let’s turn to questions from viewers. First question from Rebecca in London.”
Rebecca: “How you’re going to protect the consumers against rising food prices?”
Alex Taylor: “It’s true that inflation is making a reappearance. Can the European Commission do anything in 27 countries to control inflation?”
Joaquin Almunia: “Yes, were doing several things. On one side there is monetary policy, economic policy but in terms of competition there are things we can do against cartels.Whenever we refuse to allow a cartel it means we’re trying to stop prices from snowballing.”
Alex Taylor: “Give us an example of when the European Commission did something?”
Joaquin Almunia: “Recently it has adopted many decisions on cartels. For example, one manufacturer who make screens we use every day made an arrangement to fix prices.”
Alex Taylor: “What can you do? Do you intervene at a national level, do you get together with other finance ministers. In real terms what does that mean?”
Joaquin Almunia: “In the case of cartels, we carry out business inspections. We go to corporate offices. We look at the emails, hard drives. We look for documents. We make investigations and if we prove that there was an agreement to fix prices or control the market we refuse to accept the cartel and impose fines.”
Alex Taylor: “Fines of how much exactly.”
Joaquin Almunia: “Last year we handed out three billion euros in fines.”
Alex Talor: “The second question is from Alex in Greece”.
Alex: “How can you tackle countries in difficult positions like Greece and Portugal. What can you do?
Alex Taylor: “The list is getting longer and longer. As competition commissioner, what can you do?”
Joaquin Almunia: “As a commissioner, in countries like Greece and Irelanc, which are suffering financial difficulties we keep tax payers money to save the banks.”
Alex Taylor: “What does that mean exactly?”
Joaquin Almunia: “For example, the banks in Greece, some of them had to agree to restructuring because they were given public money to survive. And public money must be used effectively, banks must be restructured to be viable in the future. The money used to rescue banks should be well distributed and that’s what we’re doing.”
Alex Taylor: “We now have Ilse, who is Belgian. She has a question for you.”
Ilse: “What measures is the European Commission taking to defend the plurity of the market?”
Joaquin Almunia: “On the one hand we’ve got a policy to tackle monopolies and against the overdominance in the market.
“We investigate businesses. As soon as one of them does something which will extend its authorityin the market over its competitors or if it doesn’t follow the rules then we stop its operations.”
Alex Taylor: “You have to deal with big businesses and national policy. Each country has its own policies?
Joaquin Almunia: “As far as applying competition rules on businesses the member states don’t have any input. The EU commission makes the decisions and if the infractions break their own rules then its national authority who react.
“But we are independent of the government in terms of using public money there is public policy action that is good…for example, giving public money to research.
“But giving funds to a business for profit that comes under the exclusive control of the EU commission.”
Alex Taylor: “You say: “well, it’s good, it’s not good” … who decides?”
Joaquin Almunia: “We do, there’s legislation that has been established by treaties and also rules which have come about as a result of an application of those treaties bit by bit.
Alex Taylor: “A question in Spanish Josep.”
Josep: “How can we solve the problem with microsoft?”
Alex Taylor: “Microsoft is huge. The United States and Europe had the same problems. How can wer in Europe tackle such a big business?”
Joaquin Almunia: “The Commission acted against Microsoft when Microsoft did not respect the competition rules. We obliged them to carry publicity from other search engines as well as Internet Explorer.
“There are millions of users who now have chosen another search web engine that is not Microsoft.
“We can continue in this sense. For example, we’re doing an investigation into Google. And also one on Intel and have already imposed a fine because they had a monopoly.
“We are constantly enlarging the scope of competition rules as a result of these new activities new developments which are important and interesting for us all. But also carry the risk of creating monopolies.”
Alex Taylor: “Another question to the Commissioner for competition from Silvia who is also Spanish.”
Silvia: “I am Spanish and I live in France. How do you propose to keep Spain safe during the financial crisis? And how do you propose to help young people find work?”
Alex Taylor: “You are Spanish yourself. Can you save your county?”
Joaquin Almunia: “No. My country needs to save itself. And they are doing it. I think the decisions made in Spain over the last year – the labour market reform, the fiscal consolidation, pension reform, the reform of the banking system – these are very important measures that are now in the process of producing the right results.
“As the economy improves there will be more change for young people, everyone to have a job.”
Alex Taylor: “A written question on the italk website from the Shadow, who is German. “Is the Euro stable? And will it remain our currency?
Joaquin Almunia: “Of course, the Euro is here to stay.”
Alex Taylor: “But there are some doubts about it?”
Joaquin Almunia: “I once described the euro like a couple in the old days when divorce did not exist. With the euro there is no divorce. You could theoretically pull out of the Euro but I can not imagine a country that would dare do this and would say that it’s better inside the Euro than outside.”
Alex Taylor: “But there are a lot of couples arguing at the moment.”
Joaquin Almunia: “There is the economic crisis but the crisis was not caused by the Euro. The Euro will helps us come through the crisis and the test is there are many countries on the fringes of the Eurozone who would like to be inside.”
Source: http://www.euronews.net
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