According to a report in today's economic magazine "Handelsblatt" the EU Commission is planning to initiate an action for infringement of the EC Treaty against Germany. In the Commission's opinion the state gambling monopoly in place in Germany in particular infringes the freedom to provide services as provided for by the EC Treaty. This action for infringement of the treaty is governed by Art. 226 of the EC Treaty and is composed of several steps. First, after an informal finding of the facts, the Commission notifies the concerned state formally, thus formally initiating the action.