Multinational Undertakings and the European Communities

• DOI: 10.1177/0003603X7401900305
• Date: 01 September 1974
• Published date: 01 September 1974
• Subject Matter: Article

MULTINATIONAL

UNDERTAKINGS

AND

THE

EUROPEAN

COMMUNITIES

Communication from the European Commission to the

Council

of

the European Communities Presented on

November 8, 1973

EDITORIAL

NOTE:

What follows is the complete text of a

communication

that

the European Commission presented to

the Council of the

European

Communities on November 8,

1973. The document contains apreliminary sketch of multi-

governmental action to cope with problems and possibilities

that

arise from the activities of multinational private enter-

prises.

The document

has

three

parts:

a) a communication

that

sets

forth

in broad terms the Commission's view of the scope

of problems arising from multi-national undertakings and of

measures appropriate in meeting these problems; b) a

draft

resolution to be adopted by the Council; and c) supplementary

analyses and summaries of relevant facts.

Maintenance of competition is only one

part

of the field

covered by this communication.

It

is specifically discussed

(see Section

iii

(c) of the first

part

and

Section

II

(10) of the

analysis). The communication also discusses the bearing of

multinational enterprises upon numerous other topics, e.g.,

inadequate information,

tax

avoidance, security of supply, se-

curity of employment, state competition in granting aid, and

discrimination by states in rules applicable to establishment

and

investment by foreign enterprises. These topics

are

con-

ceived as intimately connected. The Commission intends to

attempt

dual harmonization: similar treatment of the same

matter

by different states, and appropriately related

treat-

ment of different

matters

that

are

substantively related.

553

MULTIN

ATIONAL

UNDERTAKINGS

Bulletin

of the European Communities

Supplement

15/73

Multinational undertakings

and

Community Regulations

(Communication fromthe Commission to the Council,

presented on 8 November 1973)

EUROPEAN

COMMUNITIES

Commission

555