11/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission welcomes steps taken by collective rights management bodies in Hungary and Romania to improve competition. On Friday 11 March, the European Commission closed a preliminary investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices by SCAPR, the international association of national performers' collective management organisations, and the national collective rights management organisations EJI (Hungary) and CREDIDAM (Romania). The Commission had concerns that these organisations may have implemented a restrictive membership policy, in violation of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits restrictive business practices. The Commission welcomes the steps taken by these organisations to amend their practices. (L.C./transl.fl)