HOLLAND AND GREECE IN EC'S SIGHTS

29 February 2008

Charlie McCreevy ratchets up the compliance pressure


The European Commission responsible for ensuring that European Union nations adhere to the trade bloc's policies and principles could be about to make further legal moves on Holland and Greece, reports the Reuters news agency.

Commission officials are meeting later this week to discuss non-compliance issues relating to the discriminatory exclusion of sportsbetting services competition from the two markets, and a decision on whether to issue a final warning will be announced afterwards. Failure to comply with a final warning could result in the two nations being taken before the European Court of Justice.

EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy is overseeing legal action against 10 of the EU's 27 member states to crack down on national hurdles to competition from gaming firms based elsewhere in the bloc.

Greek gaming company OPAP is an effective monopoly in its home market but competes with other operators in Cyprus.

One Greek anayst told Reuters that OPAP could be playing a waiting game. "This is not really an immediate problem for OPAP," the Athens-based analyst said. "Greece has said it is arguing for OPAP to be exempt from competition, and it will take a couple of years for a final decision to be taken by the EU in any case."

A spokesman for Commissioner McCreevy confirmed only that the Commission would discuss legal action at its meeting on Wednesday, with any decisions made public on Thursday.

The ECJ has ruled that EU states can restrict gaming but only in a proportionate and non-discriminatory way.

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