Spreading the word
When 10 new accession states join the EU on 1 May, far-reaching procedural reforms of European competition rules will take effect, alongside a new EC merger control regime. Simon Neill looks at the implications for European business
April 28, 2004 at 08:03 PM
6 minute read
On 1 May, an additional 10 countries will join the European Union (EU). This will increase the geographic size of the EU by about 40% and extend its borders to Russia.
While the road to EU enlargement has been long and tortuous, it has resulted in the creation of one of the largest single free markets in the world, serving a total population of some 450 million. Bulgaria and Romania are scheduled to accede in 2007, with Croatia and Turkey both seeking to join the queue.
For businesses, the key attraction of enlargement is the extension of the single market concept – a common set of rules and procedures allied to the principles of free movement of goods, capital and people – backed by European Commission (EC) competition, state aid and trade rules. To achieve this aim, EC law will become directly applicable in all 10 of the new countries as of 1 May.
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Burr & Forman partner Garry K. Grooms has entered an appearance for 4M Acquisitions and Wallace D. Tweden in a pending environmental lawsuit. The action, filed July 22 in Tennessee Middle District Court by the McKellar Law Group and Mark E. Martin LLC on behalf of Tennessee Riverkeeper, contends that the defendant's violated the Clean Water Act and Tennessee Water Quality Control Act by allowing for the discharge of pollutants into waters of the U.S. without obtaining a National Pollutant Discharge permit. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger, is 3:24-cv-00886, Tennessee Riverkeeper, Inc. v. Tweden et al.
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