competition

The Irish low-cost company issued a statement in reply to the European Commission’s investigation into the marketing agreement between Ryanair and the Catalan airports of Girona-Costa Brava and Reus (near the Costa Daurada). A competitor of Ryanair at Barcelona El Prat Airport had filed a complaint in Brussels accusing the Irish airline of profiting from public grants that were violating EU competition regulations. On Wednesday, the European Commission announced the launch of an investigation, which “does not prejudge the outcome”. In its statement, Ryanair pointed out that the European Court of Justice has already issued a judgement in 2008 stating that marketing agreements with airports are not state aid.

On Friday, the Spanish Government approved a proposal of law strengthening market unity, officially aiming to simplify the bureaucratic and legal framework in which companies operate. However, the Catalan Executive fears Madrid’s reform does not really aim to boost the economy and help companies, but to recentralise power. Barcelona thinks that the new proposal “radically modifies” the current distribution of competences on economic regulation and it aims to recentralise power. The Catalan Government hopes that the definitive law will be significantly changed in relation to the current proposal, as otherwise Barcelona will totally oppose the initiative. Catalonia is critical of the current proposal and accuses it of “homogenising the Autonomous Communities”.

15 days of top-level piano competition are coming up in March in Barcelona. To promote one of the world’s most prestigious international piano competitions, organised in Barcelona since 1954, 10 grand pianos were installed last Saturday in the middle of the street, on the Catalan capital’s Passeig de Gracia boulevard. The pianos could be tried by the pedestrians for free. In addition, a huge variety of concerts in different places all over Barcelona are being held. 91 pianists from 26 countries are participating in the 2013 Maria Canals International Music Competition. The winner will be known in two weekends from now.

The 50th anniversary of the prestigious international competition of opera and oratorio-lied singing, named in honour of the Catalan tenor Francesc Viñas, awarded the joint first prize to Katerina Tretyakova, from Lithuania, and Michal Jakub Partyka, from Poland. The second prize went to Amartuvshin, from Mongolia, and the third prize was for Valeriu Caradja, from Moldova. The first junior prize was for Marina Nachkebiya, from Georgia. The final stage of the competition took place on Friday with 15 singers taking part in Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu. The award ceremony was on Sunday and the winners showed the audience their talent. Besides, the Liceu Theatre organised an exhibition and published a book to showcase Francesc Viñas’ career and the history of the competition named after him.

IAG, the airlines group formed after the merger of British Airways and Iberia, has announced its plans to acquire 100% of Vueling’s capital. Iberia already has 45.85% of the Catalan airline. Now, IAG intends to buy the remaining 54.15%, equivalent to 16.2 million shares. IAG is offering €7 per share, 28% more than Vueling’s last trading price on the stock exchange market. Vueling is one of the few airlines in Europe making a profit. Catalan politicians are “worried” about the purchase, as Vueling is based in Barcelona El Prat Airport and is committed to its expansion. However, Iberia abandoned its plans to develop El Prat and has prioritised Madrid Barajas. A Catalan MEP has asked the European Commission about the possibility of there being a free competition obstacle.

Josep Oliu, President of Banc Sabadell, thinks that if somebody is to be made responsible for the current crisis, a thorough analysis of the decisions of sector managers during the 2003-2007 period should be made, and not among those currently in charge. Oliu, who has been a banker “all his life”, feels he is a “victim” of a situation provoked by managers who were “not acting as bankers”. The Catalan banker recognised that the Spanish banking system can still face the new requirements on its own but it is getting “closer to the limit of its own economic capacity”. Besides, Oliu was very satisfied with the European Commission’s green light for CAM’s integration into Banc Sabadell’s business.

The 58th edition of the prestigious international piano competition awarded the jury’s first prize to Soo Jung Ann, who is 25 years old. The Japanese interpreter Nozomi Nakagiri and Ukraine’s pianist Vadym Kholodenko won the second and third prizes. Nakagiri also received audience’s prize. The competition ran from March 9th to March 21st, and the final was held at Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana. 89 artists of 23 different nationalities participated in this year’s edition. More than 100 Catalan families offered their grand pianos for the occasion.

With the measure, Barcelona will no longer host the headquarters of the Spanish Authority regulating the Telecommunications Market (CMT). However, the Catalan capital could still host a delegation of the new body, considering the presence of telecommunications companies in the Catalan capital. The Spanish Government has approved the creation of a single super regulatory body controlling competition throughout Spain, including stock markets and other specific markets such as energy, telecommunications, railways, airports, audiovisual media, and postal services. The new body will directly depend on the Spanish Economy Ministry.

The Spanish Government has signed 23 bilateral agreements with other countries that fix Madrid Barajas as the only airport in Spain where their flights can operate. This discriminates against Barcelona El Prat Airport by not permitting it to have international and intercontinental connections. The European Parliament has unanimously approved an amendment presented by a Liberal Catalan Nationalist MEP from CiU.

The Catalan Government will be able to keep the number of new teacher positions this year, after the Spanish Government withdrew its complaint. However, the Spokesperson for the Catalan Government insisted that the Spanish Executive continues with “its offensive against Catalonia”, as among other issues it still refuses to pay 1.45 billion euros from the Competitiveness Fund. In addition, only 0.8% of the Spanish Government’s approved public works in 2011 are in Catalonia.

Barcelona resident Alfredo Zucchi wins first place for his story 'Milena è una bomba' in the ‘Sea of Words’ contest, organised by the European Institute for the Mediterranean (IEMed) and the Anna Lindh Foundation.

The pianist founded the world-prestigious International Music Competition Maria Canals for piano interpreters. She died this morning at 96 years old in her house in Barcelona.

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