(Paris, 29th of November 2016) On the occasion of EU Commissioner Mrs Margrethe Vestager speaking at the French Assembly and Senate on the 1st of December 2016, the members of OIP Open Internet Project and ICOMP:
• commend Mrs Vestager’s determination to conclude the Google Shopping-Case, under investigation for more than 6 years, and are waiting for the final decision that should effectively bring the serious abuse of Google’s dominant position to an end, under which the members of OIP and ICOMP suffered for years;
• express their deep concerns over Google’s delaying tactics used in the on-going investigation and the fact that the company is denying clear evidence, trying to blur the lines on its ultra-dominant position in the “shopping” sector;
• underline the necessity to assess, in close co-operation with the complainants, what proper remedies should look like and encourage the Commission to ensure that once a prohibition is finalised, appropriate remedies are implemented quickly;
• encourage the Commission to further investigate the other sectors affected by Google’s conduct, such as: local, maps, travel, news, pictures, etc.;
• ask for a regulatory reform that makes it easier for the European Commission to issue interim measures in competition cases, since the current framework is inoperable and has therefore not been applied for the last 13 years.
“European digital companies are dynamic, innovative and create economic growth. They have to be able to develop in a fair market environment.”, declares Eric Léandri, President of OIP.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. Small and medium size companies in Europe are suffering and dying under the abuse of dominance by Google.”, says Michael Weber, ICOMP Chairman.
OIP and ICOMP, for their part:
• worry about the same delaying tactics used by Google in the Android-Case, which turn out to be the same stalling tactics used for years in the Shopping-Case;
• opened negotiations about a closer cooperation in their fight for a fair and competitive environment in the internet;
• will present in a few weeks at a joint press conference a detailed analysis of Google’s false allegations in defence of its anti-competitive conduct in the Shopping-Case.
“The length of an investigation is the ally of the monopolies and the enemy of the companies suffering greatly from their abuses. The time for decisions, sanctions and remedies has come. It is a first necessity that the European Commission is armed with powerful instruments to protect consumers and companies from unfair practices. This is why interim measures have to become operable.”, concludes Léonidas Kalogeropoulos, Delegate General of the OIP.
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Media contacts:
ICOMP
Michael Weber: michael.weber@hot-map.com
OIP
Léonidas Kalogeropoulos: +33 6 07 31 51 26 – l.k@mediation-arguments.com
Anaïs Strauss: + 33 1 53 45 91 91 – anais.strauss@mediation-arguments.com
