By decision of 20 September 2006 , the Commission imposed fines totalling €314.76 million on 30 companies for having participated, over various periods between 31 December 1988 and 1 April 2004, in a cartel in the copper fittings sector.

Any digital television set with an integral screen of visible diagonal greater than 30 cm which is put on the market for sale or rent in the Community is to be fitted with at least one open interface socket (either standardised by, or conforming to a standard adopted by, a recognised European standards organisation, or conforming to an industry-wide specification) e.g. the DVB common interface connector, permitting simple connection of peripherals, and able to pass all the elements of a digital television signal, including information relating to interactive and conditionally accessed services’.

The European Commission has fined 30 companies a total of €314.76 million for participating in a copper fittings cartel, in violation of the EC Treaty’s ban on restrictive business practices (Article 81).

Accordingly, the Action Plan includes an initiative to extend the greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme to the air transport sector, to improve air traffic control (SESAR), to implement the third rail package, and to connect ships to the electricity network when in harbour.

Any digital television set with an integral screen of visible diagonal greater than 30 cm which is put on the market for sale or rent in the Community is to be fitted with at least one open interface socket (either standardised by, or conforming to a standard adopted by, a recognised European standards organisation, or conforming to an industry-wide specification) e.g. the DVB common interface connector, permitting simple connection of peripherals, and able to pass all the elements of a digital television signal, including information relating to interactive and conditionally accessed services.

I recall being told by Mr. Vokes that fittings and valves that are used in the pipeline industry are substandard, and that applied in Canada as well as in the U.S. Those fittings and valves, as I would understand, are off the shelf.