
The Big Tech Show: Trump says pharmaceutical deal coming in 'near future'
EU exports will be hit with a 15% tariff while US imports to the EU carry a zero tariff. It is seen as a complete capitulation from the European side and a win for both the US and Trump on the American side. This means that thousands of European companies and millions of workers within the EU are being put under considerable pressure and disadvantage when compared to their US rivals.
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RTÉ News
28 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
178,000 products withdrawn, recalled or prevented from reaching market in 2024
Over 178,000 unsafe products were recalled, withdrawn or prevented from reaching the Irish market last year by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. The actions were taken following consumer complaints, referrals from European networks, proactive investigations and work with Revenue Customs. The recalls included almost 10,000 babies sleepsuits and over 2,400 toy construction trucks. The CCPC's annual report for 2024 also showed that it carried out more than 200 consumer protection inspections last year. As a result of the enforcement and legal actions, it issued 47 fixed penalty notices and 23 compliance notices. The report said successful prosecutions were brought against five retailers, including Tesco Ireland. The CCPC said the retailer pleaded guilty to two sample counts of failing to comply with the law in how they displayed the price of products offered on promotion to clubcard holders. The consumer watchdog also undertook five successful prosecutions for breaches of consumer protection law, including action against misleading pricing practices. And it opened an investigation into Ticketmaster Ireland and its handling of the sale of Oasis tickets last August, following almost 100 complaints over dynamic pricing. The commission also carried out dawn raids on two premises as part of an ongoing cartel-related investigation in the home alarm industry. It also assisted the Italian Competition Authority, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, in an unannounced search of Ryanair's headquarters in Dublin as part of an ongoing Italian competition law investigation. The CCPC said its "successful intervention to prevent a potential monopoly in car parking at Dublin Airport" was among its highlights in 2024. The consumer watchdog said it blocked the daa's attempted purchase of the former Quickpark site due to findings that it would lead to "higher prices, less choice and lower service quality for consumers." As a result, it said it facilitated the entry of a new competitor to the car park market at Dublin Airport. There was a 21% increase in merger notifications, with 71% of determinations last year made within 13.3 days under a simplified process. 2024 marked a significant milestone for the CCPC, which celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking what it described as "a decade of work promoting competition and enhancing consumer welfare." The Chairperson of the CCPC, Brian McHugh, said the annual report highlights the "vital role the CCPC plays across all sectors of the economy, from enforcing consumer law on retail pricing, to advocating proactively for reforming the legal sector to better serve the interests of Irish businesses and consumers." "Open, fair markets are the backbone of our economy's success, ensuring that whether consumers are making small everyday purchases or major financial decisions, their interests are protected," he added. "Following a year of notable achievements and a decade of progress, our focus remains on delivering transparent outcomes, empowering consumers with knowledge of their rights, and being a leading voice for competition and consumer welfare across Ireland." The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, said the CCPC "continues to deliver for Irish consumers and businesses by ensuring our markets remain competitive, transparent, and safe." "Their work in 2024, from blocking anti-competitive mergers to removing dangerous products and empowering consumers through education, demonstrates the importance of strong, independent enforcement." Minister Burke said he will continue his close collaboration with the CCPC to ensure it has "sufficient powers and resources to effectively advocate for and enforce competition and consumer protection legislation." The commission said it responded to over 44,000 helpline contacts and received 1.8 million visits to its website throughout last year.


Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on X's court defeat: the conflict will continue
The High Court's rejection of X's challenge to Ireland's new online safety code may come to be seen as a milestone in the enforcement of Europe's digital rulebook. It is also a reminder that the battle over online content regulation is not simply a matter of legal interpretation or child protection policy. It sits squarely in the middle of a transatlantic struggle over who sets the rules for the digital economy. Ireland's Online Safety Code, enforced by Coimisiún na Meán, requires platforms to shield children from harmful video content, introduce age checks and parental controls, and prevent the sharing of material that promotes self-harm, eating disorders or bullying. The court ruled these measures fall within the EU's Audiovisual Media Services Directive and complement the Digital Services Act, dismissing X's claims of overreach. That finding may seem straightforward from a European perspective. The EU has long sought to assert that technology companies must respect European standards if they wish to operate here. But the US views such measures through a different lens, shaped by its dominance in the tech sector and a political culture that prizes free expression in almost absolute terms. The commercial stakes are immense. The global tech services market is overwhelmingly dominated by American firms: Meta, Google, Apple and Amazon. EU regulation is therefore not just a neutral exercise in public protection but, inevitably, a rebalancing of power between the jurisdictions where these companies are based and the markets in which they operate. That tension is heightened by the fact that Ireland is home to the European headquarters of many of these firms, making it the front line in this conflict. READ MORE In Washington, the issues are often couched in the language of principle. Conservative figures such as JD Vance have been vocal in their defence of unfettered online speech, casting regulation as censorship. Such arguments, while grounded in America's First Amendment tradition, also align neatly with the commercial interests of the companies whose revenues depend on maximising user engagement. The defence of principle and the defence of profit are intertwined. The ruling against X will not end these disputes. The tech industry's legal resources are vast, and its political allies influential. But it confirms that Ireland, acting within the EU framework, has the authority to challenge the ethos of the platforms it hosts. That will not be welcomed in boardrooms in California or on Capitol Hill. As the digital economy becomes a key arena of US-EU competition, Ireland's decisions will be read not only as regulatory acts but as statements about where power lies in the online world. Tuesday's judgment suggests that, at least for now, that power may be shifting.


Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Sleep suits, toy trucks and car parking at Dublin Airport: some of the actions taken by the consumer watchdog last year
Through consumer complaints, referrals from European networks, investigations and work with Revenue, the unsafe products were recalled, removed or prevented from reaching the Irish market. Among the recalls were nearly 10,000 babies' sleep suits and more than 2,400 toy construction trucks. Successful prosecutions were brought against five retailers last year, with Tesco Ireland pleading guilty to two sample counts of failing to comply with laws around the display of product prices on promotion for Clubcard holders. CCPC chairperson Brian McHugh said the annual report 'highlights the vital role the CCPC plays across all sectors of the economy'. "As we look ahead, it is clear that the CCPC's work is more important than ever and our vision for open and competitive markets where consumers are protected and businesses actively compete, remains at the heart of everything we do. 'Following a year of notable achievements and a decade of progress, our focus remains on delivering transparent outcomes, empowering consumers with knowledge of their rights, and being a leading voice for competition and consumer welfare across Ireland.' 'The CCPC continues to deliver for Irish consumers and businesses by ensuring our markets remain competitive, transparent, and safe,' Enterprise Minister Peter Burke said. 'Their work in 2024 – from blocking anti-competitive mergers to removing dangerous products and empowering consumers through education – demonstrates the importance of strong, independent enforcement.' Among the items highlighted in the report was the work done by the CCPC to block the sale of the former QuickPark car park site at Dublin Airport, an effort to prevent a monopoly in that market. In March of last year, the sale of the car park based on the Swords Road in Santry to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) was blocked over concerns it would lead to higher prices and a lower quality of service for consumers. ADVERTISEMENT A CCPC investigation found the deal would have seen DAA own more than 90pc of public car parking spaces serving Dublin Airport, leading to 'harmful consequences for consumers'. Following the decision, DAA said it saw 'merit' in appealing, but decided against an appeal to ensure the car park's spaces got back on the market ahead of the busy summer period. The report also highlighted assistance provided to the Italian competition authority by the CCPC in an unannounced search of Ryanair's Dublin headquarters last year. The search in March 2024 came as part of an Italian competition law investigation into whether Ryanair was abusing its dominant position in the market to hinder travel agents from selling Ryanair flights. Claims that Ryanair abused its dominant market position were denied by the airline. In January, the airline lost an appeal to overturn a decision it cannot sue the Italian competition authority in Ireland over the search. The High Court had dismissed Ryanair's case against the Autorità Garante Della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) in June of last year.