Sector Inquiries on the Italian Electricity and Natural Gas Markets Expose Failures in Both Liberalisation Processes.

On 9 February 2005, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) and the Autorità per l’Energia Elettrica e il Gas (AEEG) concluded a joint sector inquiry on the progress of liberalisation in the Italian electricity market (Electricity Sector inquiry). The Electricity Sector inquiry follows another joint inquiry by the two authorities a few months earlier on the progress of liberalisation of the natural gas market in Italy (Natural Gas Sector inquiry). The Natural Gas Sector inquiry was published on 19 June 2004. This article summarises the findings and the conclusions of both sector inquiries and describes the methodology used by the two authorities. After several years since the beginning of both liberalisation processes in both sectors, the AGCM and the AEEG find that Italian electricity and natural gas markets still lack competitiveness and are characterised by the presence of a dominant operator, ENEL (in the electricity sector) and ENI (in the natural gas sector). The last part of the article summarises the reasons which brought the AGCM to open two antitrust investigations into alleged abuses of dominant positions against ENEL and ENI

Marcatili's Lossless Tapers and Bends: an Apparent Paradox and its Solution

Numerical results based on an extended BPM algorithm indicate that, in Marcatili's lossless tapers and bends, through-flowing waves are drastically different from standing waves. The source of this surprising behavior is inherent in Maxwell's equations. Indeed, if the magnetic field is correctly derived from the electric one, and the Poynting vector is calculated, then the analytical results are reconciled with the numerical ones. Similar considerations are shown to apply to Gaussian beams in free space.Comment: 4 pages, figures include

Information exchanges between competitors: the Italian Competition Authority’s recent practice

In 2004, two cases on exchanges of information between competitors were decided by the Italian competition authority (“AGCM” – the Autorità Garante per la Concorrenza ed il Mercato). This revived a lively debate on the conditions in which these practices should be prohibited and whether they are anticompetitive per se. Over the years, the AGCM has taken a firm stand against such practices, in some cases beyond that taken by the European Commission and the European Court. This article reviews the rules and outlines the innovative approach that the AGCM has recently adopted

Antitrust Enforcement: Four New Investigations Opened by the AGCM in the First Months of 2005

The first three months of this year have witnessed extensive enforcement activity by Italy’s Autorità Garante per la Concorrenza ed il Mercato (“AGCM”). In the closing 90 days of the chairmanship of Professor Tesauro, former Advocate General at the European Court of Justice, the AGCM initiated a number of investigations for infringement of EC competition rules in various key markets: natural gas, telecommunication services, pharmaceuticals and postal services. The cases reported below are of particular interest since they are the first examples of enforcement of EC competition rules by the AGCM in the new “modernised” system of European enforcement

Contextual online help design: Questioning research practice

Colloque sur invitation. internationale.International audienceA research methodology is presented that combines empirical observation and experimental assessment with a view to gaining knowledge on human cognitive strategies during face-to-face interaction and evaluating the elicited strategies in the context of human-computer interaction. How this approach can be implemented effectively is illustrated by a brief summary of its application to the design and ergonomic evaluation of a simulated contextual online help system implementing human experts' help strategies. || Une méthode de recherche combinant observation et expérimentation (évaluation) est présentée. Elle permet d'acquérir des connaissances sur les stratégies cognitives humaines utilisées dans des situations de communication face à face, d'appliquer les conn

Antitrust and Law Update: Interesting Times for IP Holders in Europe, the Implications of Microsoft and IMS Health

On March 24th 2004, the European Commission issued its long awaited Microsoft decision, which has now been published on its Website.1 On April 29th 2004, the Court of Justice handed down its judgment in the IMS Health case.2 Both decisions have important implications for all companies with valuable IP portfolios that do business in the European Union. Although these decisions are arguably not revolutionary given the existing legal framework for dominant companies set out in Article 82 EC, they illustrate that EC competition law sometimes strikes a different balance than US antitrust law between spurring innovation by protecting IP rights and promoting competition in innovation-driven markets

Articulación entre la teoría y la práctica de la endodoncia, desde un enfoque innovador

En el presente trabajo final integrador, pretendo poner en tensión cuestiones vinculadas con la aplicación de la teoría de la endodoncia con fines prácticos, abordando las dificultades que actualmente observo en este proceso. La inquietud surge del diálogo entre los pares que comparten las mismas dificultades con sus alumnos, en donde se evidencian problemáticas relacionadas a las situaciones clínicas que atraviesan, como la atención de pacientes en casi todas las materias, la dimensión y la escasa valoración que hacen los estudiantes de estos contenidos, sumados a las problemáticas propias de muchos estudiantes que atraviesan las aulas y clínicas de la Facultad de odontología. Entre las problemáticas que observo se encuentran la necesidad de trabajar para costear sus estudios, el ser padres a temprana edad y no poder dedicarles todo el tiempo disponible a las actividades universitarias, entre otras. La franja etaria de los alumnos de cuarto año se encuentra entre los 21 y los 25 años de edad en más del 90 por ciento, el resto suele ser muy variable con edades que van de los 30 a los 60 años. Partiendo desde el diagnóstico inicial, llevado a cabo en base a un rastreo con técnicas cualitativas que permitan conocer a los sujetos y sus prácticas, pretendo arribar al tema central del problema y así desarrollar un dispositivo pedagógico innovador que permita optimizar los procesos de aprendizaje que median la teoría de la endodoncia y su aplicación práctica en el desarrollo de la atención clínica de los pacientes. El diagnóstico del problema, su conceptualización y desarrollo de la herramienta innovadora tendrá lugar en la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, específicamente en la asignatura endodoncia 1“A”, materia de 4° año de la Carrera, que se vincula íntegramente con otras afines en los procesos de recuperación del diente con necesidad de tratamiento endodóntico.Asesora Pedagógica: Lic. Debora Magalí Arce.Facultad de Odontologí

The Article 82 EC Abuse Concept: What Scope is There for Modernization?

On 30 September 2004, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, the University of Nyenrode, and Global Competition Review co-sponsored a seminar on the reform of Article 82 EC by the European Commission. The seminar raised a great deal of interest amongst members of the legal community and attracted a large attendance. The speakers included some of the most well-known top-level policy makers, academics, and practitioners in the field of competition law. Over the last two years, there have been numerous calls for modernization of the way in which Article 82 of the EC Treaty is applied by the European Commission and, with decentralization in mind, by 25 national competition authorities and many more national courts. Modernization in other areas has involved a greater focus on the economic effects of the relevant practice. In Article 82 EC cases, enforcement has, however, been more based on the perceived object of a criticized practice with the effect being inferred from market power. Classic positions on fidelity market power. Classic positions on fidelity rebates and the special responsibilities of dominant companies have also been reaffirmed recently by the European Court in judgments such as Michelin II, Masterfoods II, and BA/Virgin. The aim of the seminar was to look at the concepts underlying the current law in relation to rebates and tying and bundling to compare how EU and US enforcers deal with such issues and to make suggestions for possible European Commission guidelines on Article 82 EC enforcement practice