GLG News by Energy / Utilities Experts: Legal, Economic, and Regulatory Affairs (France)

This is a serious challenge to the merger.  It is nothing like the previous attempts by various Scottish grandees to engineer an alternative deal for HBOS. The Competition Appeal Tribunal has a good record of hearing urgent merger cases quickly, and is unlikely to be affected...

There is another flaw in the Arrhenius argument, not mentioned in peer reviews dealing with the distinction between wholesale power market spot and future prices. The Arrhenius authors appear to assume that green certificates would be issued or required on top of the German feed-in tariff...

By restricting Microsoft's ability to bundle unrelated features (such as media players, server software) to Windows, the EU ruling will bolster competition & innovation in the software industry.   The judgement further asserts that companies may not unfairly prevent rival products from...

French business and equities would take a plunge if Ms. Royal were elected President in April next. Ms. Royal’s personal economic views are statist & interventionist; if elected she would have to govern with an alliance of unreconstructed Socialists and Communists. Far from...

The European Commission plans to propose measures to bring emissions of greenhouse gases from the average new car down to 120g of CO2 per kilometer by 2012 - 25% below the 2005 level of 162g/km.Final provisions will depend on a host of complex negotiations, but the overall trend is clear: ...

Total’s incoming CEO has declared his company’s intention to enter the nuclear electricity business. Given France’s wealth of nuclear expertise, Total seems better positioned than many other oil companies to acquire this new competence.   Yet, Total may be tempted to buy, as opposed to...

In the context of the new EU overall energy and environmental strategy, the European Commission proposed on 31 January a revision to the 1998 fuel quality directive that will have far-reaching implications for the oil industry. Oil industry representatives are up in arms, claiming that the...

This short and sharp article should be carefully considered by any senior manager worth his salt. “Companies that prosper in an environment of changing climate and policies will tend to be those that are early to recognise its importance and inexorability, foresee at least some of the implications...

The related areas of energy policy & climate change are now firmly at the forefront of the European Commission’s program for the years ahead. Despite tactical retreats, as on CO2 emissions targets for the motor industry, the overall trend points towards significant liberalization of energy...

The European Commission has published on 10 January a set of findings and possible new measures related to the power and gas sectors. DG TREN, the part of the Commission responsible for energy policy, suggests that unbundling and regulatory controls must be strengthened as part of...