Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUBLIN335
2006-03-30 14:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dublin
Cable title:
IRELAND SHARES USG CONCERNS ON MICROSOFT
how-toVZCZCXRO7108 RR RUEHAG DE RUEHDL #0335 0891457 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 301457Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6705 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000335
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: ETRD KIPR EUN EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND SHARES USG CONCERNS ON MICROSOFT
REF: A. STATE 46956
B. YOUNG-SOILA E-MAIL OF 3/13/06
Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mary E. Daly; Reasons 1.4 (
B) and (D).
(C) Ireland shares USG concerns about the Commission's
treatment of Microsoft (which has its European operations
center and large-scale R&D programs in Ireland),according to
Ronald Long, Assistant Secretary General in the Department of
Enterprise, Trade, and Employment (DETE),with whom Post
discussed reftel demarche on March 28 and 29. Long, who has
responsibility for competition issues in DETE and claims to
have written the 1991 EU Copyright Directive for Computer
Programs, noted that DETE Minister Micheal Martin had
recently written to EU Internal Market Commissioner (and
former Irish Finance Minister) Charlie McCreevy to alert the
Commission to the GOI's concerns. Long elaborated that the
GOI saw the Commission as less than transparent in its
evaluation of the interoperability information supplied by
Microsoft in compliance with the Commission's antitrust
ruling. The GOI, he added, worried that the Commission's
dealings with Microsoft were making the ground rules for
competition cases unclear, a trend that should concern any
company operating in Europe. He asked to stay in touch with
Post as the Microsoft case proceeded.
KENNY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: ETRD KIPR EUN EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND SHARES USG CONCERNS ON MICROSOFT
REF: A. STATE 46956
B. YOUNG-SOILA E-MAIL OF 3/13/06
Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mary E. Daly; Reasons 1.4 (
B) and (D).
(C) Ireland shares USG concerns about the Commission's
treatment of Microsoft (which has its European operations
center and large-scale R&D programs in Ireland),according to
Ronald Long, Assistant Secretary General in the Department of
Enterprise, Trade, and Employment (DETE),with whom Post
discussed reftel demarche on March 28 and 29. Long, who has
responsibility for competition issues in DETE and claims to
have written the 1991 EU Copyright Directive for Computer
Programs, noted that DETE Minister Micheal Martin had
recently written to EU Internal Market Commissioner (and
former Irish Finance Minister) Charlie McCreevy to alert the
Commission to the GOI's concerns. Long elaborated that the
GOI saw the Commission as less than transparent in its
evaluation of the interoperability information supplied by
Microsoft in compliance with the Commission's antitrust
ruling. The GOI, he added, worried that the Commission's
dealings with Microsoft were making the ground rules for
competition cases unclear, a trend that should concern any
company operating in Europe. He asked to stay in touch with
Post as the Microsoft case proceeded.
KENNY