EUROPEAN COURT STRIKES DOWN UPS CHARGES AGAINST DEUTSCHE POST

EUROPEAN COURT STRIKES DOWN UPS CHARGES AGAINST DEUTSCHE POST    The European Court of Justice rejected complaints by Atlanta-based United Parcel Service that German postal giant Deutsche Post's purchase of DHL International violated the European Union's fair trade legislation.
   UPS sought to block the purchase of DHL International, claiming it would give the German company a dominant position in the express mail delivery market.
   The court said UPS did not prove Deutsche Post used abusive practices, nor did the company use profits made from its national postal monopoly to fund the DHL purchase.
   UPS has two months to decide whether to appeal the European Court of Justice's decision.
   The European Union's executive commission rejected complaints filed by UPS in 1998, after Deutsche Post informed the EU head office of its plays to buy DHL.
   The European Commission has had an on-going investigation of Deutsche Post. The EC fined the German company 24 million euro ($21.6 million) in March 2001, finding that the carrier 'abused its dominant position' by granting rebates, in addition to engaging in predatory pricing for its parcel services.