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Spain's Renfe vows to allow other websites to sell its train tickets

AFP
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Spain's Renfe vows to allow other websites to sell its train tickets
Renfe escapes the Brussels fine by liberalizing the sale of tickets online Renfe escapes the Brussels fine by liberalizing the sale of tickets online COMPANIES Renfe commits to Brussels to liberalize the sale of tickets online to avoid a fine The public railway operator will offer all its data in real time to the ticketing platforms. January 17, 2024 11:54KEEP RENFE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) COMPETENCE TICKETS Juan Sanhermelando @jsanhermelando Bruselas Renfe escapes a million-dollar fine from Brussels for monopolistic abuses after having offered a package of commitments to open the sale of tickets online to competition . In particular, the public railway operator will provide rival ticketing platforms with all its content and real-time data relating to its passenger rail transport services. After subjecting them to a market test and consulting all interested parties, the Ursula von der Leyen Commission has accepted Renfe's commitments and has made them legally binding because it considers that they resolve the competition problems detected. If the company fails to comply, Brussels could impose an automatic penalty of up to 10% of its turnover , without having to prove the existence of a violation of EU competition rules. "The decision adopted today opens the sale of tickets online in Spain to competition . From now on, independent ticket sales platforms will have access to all the information necessary to innovate and compete effectively with the online distribution channels of Renfe", highlighted the vice president of the Commission, Margrethe Vestager . [Brussels launches an investigation against Renfe for monopolistic abuses in the sale of tickets] Recommended by 00:20 / 00:33 16F6A "It is crucial to have more affordable rail services and to promote environmentally friendly means of transport," says Vestager. In April 2023, Brussels launched a formal investigation against Renfe for refusing to provide competing ticketing platforms with the full content of its range of tickets, discounts and features. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)

The EU on Wednesday said it had accepted commitments from Spain's state rail operator Renfe aimed at opening up ticket sales to third-party websites after a Brussels probe into anti-competitive practices.

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"The European Commission has made commitments by Renfe legally binding under EU antitrust rules," the EU's executive arm said in a statement.

"The commitments address the commission's preliminary competition concerns relating to Renfe's refusal to supply all its content and real-time data related to its passenger rail transport services to rival ticketing platforms."

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The EU's executive said the state-owned rail operation has agreed to make available its ticketing data to other ticketing platforms.

"Today's decision opens up competition in online rail ticketing services in Spain," said EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager.

"From now on, independent ticketing platforms will have access to all the information necessary to innovate and compete effectively."

The commission said the commitments from Renfe would remain in force for an indefinite period.

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