EU News
Printable version

GCEU provides clarification as to the functioning of the European Network of Competition Authorities

easyJet Airline Co. Ltd is a British air carrier that is highly active within the EU, operating, inter alia, to and from Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam (Netherlands).

In 2008, easyJet lodged complaints with the Netherlands competition authority which were based on provisions of the national legislation governing aviation and the law on competition. Those complaints were brought against Luchthaven Schiphol NV, the operator of Amsterdam-Schiphol airport and related to the passenger and security service charges.

In its decisions, the Netherlands competition authority rejected those complaints by relying on the Netherlands law governing aviation and by resorting to its priority policy, which allows it to give different degrees of priority to the individual cases with which it deals. Those decisions have become final at national level.

On 14 January 2011, easyJet lodged a complaint with the Commission. It submitted that the charges set by Schiphol were discriminatory and excessive and amounted to an abuse of a dominant position in the internal market.1 It referred to the complaints lodged with the Netherlands competition authority and maintained that that authority had not taken any final decision on the merits of easyJet’s complaint under competition law.

Click here for full press release

Share this article

Latest News from
EU News

Free, Secure, Compliant UK Public Sector IT Recycling Service