Brussels, 23/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 23 May 2013, the European Commission rendered legally binding the commitments made by Star Alliance members Air Canada, United and Lufthansa to address the Commission's concerns that the parties' cooperation under a revenue-sharing joint venture may be in breach of EU antitrust rules and harm premium passengers on the Frankfurt-New York route and other connections, such as Prague-Frankfurt-New York or Frankfurt-New York-Seattle. The revenue-sharing joint venture eliminated competition between the parties on price and capacity and the Commission had concerns that this might have resulted in higher prices for premium passengers on the Frankfurt-New York route. In addition, due to considerable barriers to entry and expansion, new and existing competitors would have been unable to challenge the market power of the parties. The companies also pledged to provide information about their cooperation, thus making it easier to assess Star Alliance's impact on markets over the long-term. After consulting interested parties, the Commission accepted the commitments, making them legally finding for ten years. An independent trustee will monitor the parties' compliance with these commitments. (FG/transl.fl)