Antitrust, Proceedings

30.5.2003 - 15.6.2003

During a time period from May 30, 2003 till June 15, 2003 the AO SR:

1.	Initiated the following administrative proceedings:

Third parties, mainly consumers, suppliers, subscribers and rivals of the participants to the concentration may submit their objections against the notified concentration to the Office within the period of 10 days from the day the notification of concentration has been published.

On May 30, 2003 the Office initiated the administrative proceedings in the matter of concentration between the entrepreneurs MEINL BANK Aktiengesellschaft, Vienna, Austria and Banka Slovakia, a.s., Banská Bystrica
On May 30, 2003 the Office initiated the administrative proceedings in the matter of concentration between the entrepreneurs INFORAMA, a.s., Bratislava, MUDr. Daniel Hornášek CSc. and SANITAS - SR, a.s., Nové Mesto nad Váhom
On June 5, 2003 the Office initiated the administrative proceedings in the matter of concentration between the entrepreneurs SOTE, s.r.o., Čadca and DALKIA Čadca, a.s., Čadca
On May 6, 2003 the Office initiated the administrative proceedings in the matter of concentration between the entrepreneurs Borg Luxembourg S.A., Luxembourg and Johnson Controls Inc., USA
On June 9, 2003 the Office initiated the administrative proceedings in the matter of imposing fine for breaching the article 10, par. 9 of the Act No. 136/2001 Coll. on Protection of Competition as amended (hereinafter Act) to the entrepreneur RAG Aiengessellschaft, Germany
On June 9, 2003 the Office initiated the administrative proceedings pursuant to the article 10, par.15 of the Act in the matter of granting an exemption from the ban to perform rights and obligations arising from the concentration between the INFORAMA, a.s., Bratislava, MUDr. Daniel Hornášek CSc. and SANITAS - SR, a.s., Nové Mesto nad Váhom
On June 12, 2003 the Office initiated the administrative proceedings in the matter of concentration between the entrepreneurs Candover Partners Limited, London, Great Britain, Cinven Limited, London, Great Britain and BertelsmannSpringer Science + Businnes Media Group

2.	The following decisions came into force:

Decision No. 2003/FH/3/1/096 dated on May 29, 2003, by which the Office approved the concentration through which the entrepreneur WIENER STÄDTISCHE Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft, Vienna, Austria acquired the direct control over the entrepreneur KONTINUITA - - Slovenská životná poisťovňa, a.s., Bratislava. The decision came into force on June 2, 2003.
Decision No. 2003/FH/3/1/097 dated on May 29, 2003, by which the Office approved the concentration through which the entrepreneur United States Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, USA acquired the indirect control over the entrepreneur SARTID a.d. in bankruptcy, SARTID BELI LIMOVI a.d. in bankruptcy, SARTID STARA ŽELEZARA d.o.o in bankruptcy a SARTID SPIN d.o.o. in bankruptcy, Serbia and Montenegro. The decision came into force on May 30, 2003.
Decision No. 2003/ZK/1/1/087 dated on May 19, 2003, by which the Office stopped the administrative proceedings initiated on a basis of incentive submitted by the entrepreneur Spoločné poľnohospodárske družstvo Veselé, 922 08 Veselé in the matter of possible agreement restricting competition concluded among the entrepreneurs:
UNIQA poisťovňa, a.s., Lazaretská 15, 820 07 Bratislava,
Komunálna poisťovňa a.s., Horná ul. 25, 974 01 Banská Bystrica,
Generali poisťovňa a.s., Mlynské Nivy 1, P.O.Box 10, 820 04 Bratislava 24,
Česká poisťovňa - Slovensko, a.s., Prievozská 6, 821 09 Bratislava,
ERGO poisťovňa, a.s., Drieňová 7, 821 02 Bratislava,
Allianz - Slovenská poisťovňa, a.s., Dostojevského rad 4, 815 74 Bratislava,
KOOPERATÍVA poisťovňa, a.s., Štefanovičova 4, 816 23 Bratislava,
since the reason for the proceedings was not given.
Decision came into force on June 5, 2003.
on May 30, 2003 the Council of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic issued decision No. 2003/KV/R/2/099, by which it decided, that pursuant to the article 59 par. 2 of the Act No. 71/1967 Coll. on the Administrative Proceedings in the wording of further laws changes the decision of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, Division of Agreements Restricting competition, No. 2002/KV/1/1/279 dated on December 19, 2002 in the following manner:

Point 1 of the statement part is of the following wording:

"The Contract on Distribution of Electronic Form of Periodical", concluded between the entrepreneurs PEREX, a.s., Pribinova 25, 810 11 Bratislava, Slovakia and NEWTON Information Technology, s. r.o., Politických vězňů 10, 110 00 Praha, Czech Republic, valid from December 30, 1999 to March 1, 2002 is according to provisions:

a) of the article V par. 2
b) of the enclosure No. 1 to "The Contract on Distribution" dated on December 30, 1999 called "Price List of Data in Electronic Form"
of the supplement No. 1 to "The Contract on Distribution" dated on January 19, 2001 called "Price List of Data in Electronic Form"

agreement restricting competition including direct determination of goods`s price, which is pursuant to the article 3 par. 1 in connection with the article 3 par. 2 letter a) of the Act No. 188/1994 Coll. on Protection of Economic Competition in the wording of further laws and pursuant to the article 4 par. 1 in connection with the article 4 par. 3 letter a) of the Act No. 136/2001 Coll. on Protection of Competition in the wording of further laws prohibited.

Point 2 of the statement part is of the following wording:

Pursuant to the article 14 par. 1 of the Act No. 188/1994 Coll. on Protection of Economic Competition in the wording of further laws for breach of the article 3 par. 1 of this Act and pursuant to the article 38 par. 1 of the Act No. 136/2001 Coll. on Protection of Competition in the wording of further laws for breach of the article 4 par. 1 of this Act the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic imposes:

to the entrepreneur PEREX, a.s., Pribinova 25, 810 11 Bratislava financial fine in the amount of 50 000 SKK and

to the entrepreneur NEWTON Information Technology, s. r.o., Politických vězňů 10, 110 00 Praha, Czech Republic financial fine in the amount of 20 000 SKK

which are due in the period of 15 days from the day when this decision comes to force to the account of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic No. 19-8624002/0720, KS 1118, VS 099 administered by Národná banka Slovenska. Decision came into force on June 5, 2003.
on June 6, 2003 the Council of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic issued the decision No. 2003/PE/R/2/109, by which it refused pursuant to the article 59 par. 2 of the Act No. 71/1967 Coll. on Administrative Proceedings in the wording of further laws an appeal of the entrepreneur Severoslovenské vodárne a kanalizácie, štátny podnik Žilina, Bôrická cesta 107, 010 01 Žilina, registered under the No. 2491/2003 dated on April 23, 2003, against the decision of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, Legislative, Legal and European Integration Division, No. 2003/PE/L/1/066 dated on April 2, 2003, by which the Office imposed to the entrepreneur Severoslovenské vodárne a kanalizácie, štátny podnik Žilina, Bôrická cesta 107, 010 01 Žilina obligation to pay penalty in the amount of 14 900 SKK and it confirms this decision. Decision came into force on June 11, 2003.
on June 6, 2003 the Chairwoman of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic issued the decision No. 2003/DZ/P/2/110, by which she cancelled pursuant to the article 59 par. 2 of the Act No. 71/1967 Coll. on Administrative Proceedings in the wording of further laws the decision of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, Division of Abuse of Dominant Position, No. 2003/ZK/2/1/067 dated on April 2, 2003, by which the Office stopped the administrative proceedings in the matter of abuse of a dominant position by the entrepreneur Allianz - Slovenská poisťovňa, a.s., Dostojevského rad 4, 815 74 Bratislava and returns the matter to first instance body for new investigation and decision. Decision came into force on June 11, 2003.

3.	Appeal against the decision of the Office

on June 5, 2003 the entrepreneurs FIDES Zdravotnícke zásobovanie, a.s., Viničné and BIAMA,a.s., Nové Zámky submitted an appeal against the decision No. 2003/FH/3/1/088 dated on May 19, 2003