FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA EDITORI GIORNALI-ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE DISTRIBUTORI STAMPA
PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
THE COMPETITION AUTHORITY HAS AUTHORISED THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN FIEG AND ANADIS UNTIL 2008
At its meeting on 22 April 2004, the Competition Authority resolved that the agreement between the Italian Federation of Newspaper Publishers (FIEG) and the National Association of Press Distributors (ANADIS) - comprising a set of agreements notified by FIEG on 27 June 2002, and subsequently modified on 19 November 2003 - was likely to restrict or substantially distort competition on the publishing and publications distribution markets in violation of section 2(2)(a) of the Competition Act, in relation only to the calculation of the remuneration of the distributors for returned copies, and the databank, on the ground that the agreements were likely to lead to collusion between publishers and distributors regarding the setting of part of the fees paid to distributors. This also took account of the high level of representation of the associations parties to it.
However, following the changes made, and considering the improvements that the agreement in question might make to the distribution system which was inefficient at the present time, with inevitable repercussions on retail prices, and in consideration of the possible benefits that could derive to consumers in terms of an improved allocation of publications in the more than 40,000 outlets throughout Italy, the Authority authorised a waiver to this agreement pursuant to section 4 of the Competition Act, valid until 31 December 2008. This deadline appeared to be appropriate to make it possible for the improvements mentioned above to be implemented, keeping in pace with the liberalisation process that began in the publishing industry with the issue of Legislative Decree 170/2001, which has not yet deployed its full effects.
The Competition Authority issued this resolution with the favourable opinion of the Communications Regulatory Authority which it received on 9 April 2004.
Rome, 11 May 2004