The EU Commission has endorsed the proposal by communications regulator ComReg to lower the prices charged by Eircom to its competitors for granting access to its network and to cut Eircom's charges for customers moving from one product to another.

Europe’s finance ministers this afternoon agreed an EU-wide deposit guarantee for savers of €50,000.

EU finance ministers are considering an Irish proposal for a Europe-wide scheme to guarantee private bank deposits of up to €100,000.

The European Commission was still waiting today for the Government to submit for approval full details of its bank guarantee plan.

The Government’s decision to guarantee the debts and deposits of the country’s six largest banks drew a thinly-veiled attack from the Brussels Commission today.

The European Commission today approved the British government’s rescue package to bail-out mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley.

The takeover of Reuters news agency by Thomson Corporation of Canada was approved by the European Commission this afternoon – with conditions attached.

The European Commission has launched a major inquiry into the pharmaceuticals market – starting with surprise swoops on major companies across the continent.

Ryanair’s takeover of Ireland’s national carrier Aer Lingus was blocked by the European Commission today as a threat to consumer choice and a recipe for higher fares.

Ryanair’s takeover of Ireland’s national carrier Aer Lingus was blocked by the European Commission today as a threat to consumer choice and a recipe for higher fares.

The EU fined Microsoft €280.5m today for failing to obey its 2004 antitrust order to share programme code with rivals and threatened new fines of €3m a day from July 31.

THE European Union has cleared the way for the IDA to grant €13 million in aid to Abbott Labs.

Ireland’s judge at the European Court of Justice has criticised the European Commission’s plans to allow individuals to sue for breaches of competition law.

Italy’s Premier Silvio Berlusconi said today that the European Union should intervene in the planned French energy merger aimed at blocking a potential hostile bid from Italian energy company Enel.

The European Commission today gave the Premier League until Monday to ensure at least two broadcasters win the television rights to its soccer games.

The European Commission fined 11 European companies £30m (€44.5m) today for fixing the price of industrial thread, saying their practices restricted access to the European market for competitors.

IRISH motorists are paying up to 50% over the EU average price for new cars, according to a major report.

The European Commission today approved UK government cash support towards a new £12m (€17.8m) four-year scheme to promote Irish language films and television programmes in Northern Ireland.

RTÉ pulled in more than €165 million from licence fees last year, it emerged yesterday as the Government prepares a response to European Union charges of a lack of financial transparency surrounding the public service broadcaster.

The EU’s competition chief expressed confidence today that his landmark decision against Microsoft would withstand a court challenge due this week, even as his US counterpart renewed criticism of the order.

The EU struck a deal with the Premier League today to settle their dispute over one of the richest television contracts in European sports, raising hopes that top English football games will be shown live on free-to-air television for the first time.

Japanese computer games maker Nintendo was fined €148m by the European Commission today for price fixing.