Law & Justice

Google Denies EU Competition Allegations

September 01, 2015

The New York Times reports that search engine Google has denied antitrust allegations from the European Commission that it has abused its dominance in the European online market, arguing that it faces substantial competition from other companies.
EU Investigates Amazon E-Books Business

June 12, 2015

As it pursues investigations into the operations of several US-based technology companies in Europe, the European Commission has announced that it has launched an investigation over whether tech giant Amazon used its dominant position in e-books to favor its own products over others.
Ministers Adopt CoE Protocol on Terrorism

May 27, 2015

Foreign ministers from countries across Europe have adopted a legally binding protocol to the Council of Europe’s (“CoE”) convention on the prevention of terrorism that requires countries to carry out measures to prevent terrorist radicalization and training.
MEPs Vote to Include Legal Aid in EU Trials Directive

May 08, 2015

A committee in the European Parliament has voted to amend the proposed EU directive on fair trial rights to strengthen the requirement of legal aid from EU member states in the case that a criminal suspect cannot afford an attorney.
EU Announces E-Commerce Antitrust Inquiry

May 06, 2015

As part of its overhaul of European e-commerce in order to establish a "Digital Single Market," the European Commission has announced an investigation into whether the U.S. e-commerce company Amazon violated EU antitrust rules by imposing barriers to access to goods across borders in Europe.
EU Investigates McDonald's Tax Avoidance

May 06, 2015

The Guardian reports that as part of its inquiries into the legality of the operations of a number of U.S. businesses in Europe, the European Commission is investigating whether McDonald's exploited loopholes in Luxembourg law in order to avoid paying taxes.
Officials Call for Establishment of EU Public Prosecutor

April 29, 2015

Two European Commissioners and a Member of the European Parliament write that the EU should establish a European Public Prosecutor's Office, which would investigate and prosecute the misuse - through fraud, corruption, and other criminal activity - of the EU budget.
Commission Proposes European Agenda on Security

April 28, 2015

In recent remarks, European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans pushed for the adoption of the Commission's proposed European Agenda on Security, which would ramp up security coordination among EU member states and develop more data-sharing and judicial cooperation in the EU.
EU Files Antitrust Charges Against Google

April 15, 2015

According to an article in The New York Times, the recent decision of the European Commission to file an antitrust complaint against internet technology company Google may be "emblematic" of the EU's more restrictive regulatory climate regarding business and technology as compared to the U.S.
EU Official Finds Leeway in Denial of Benefits to Migrants

April 09, 2015

In an opinion that must be considered by the Court of Justice of the EU ("ECJ"), an Advocate General of the ECJ recently found that an EU member state may deny benefits to migrants under EU law if these migrants have not previously been employed in that state.