European Union merger law is a part of the law of the European Union. It is charged with regulating mergers between two or more entities in a corporate structure. This institution has jurisdiction over concentrations that might or might not impede competition. Although mergers must comply with policies and regulations set by the commission; certain mergers are exempt if they promote consumer welfare. Mergers that fail to comply with the common market may be blocked. It is part of competition law and is designed to ensure that firms do not acquire such a degree of market power on the free market so as to harm the interests of consumers, the economy and society as a whole. Specifically, the level of control may lead to higher prices, less innovation and production.
Mergers and acquisitions are regulated by competition laws because they may concentrate economic power in the hands of a smaller number of parties. Oversight by the European Union, the competition laws have been enacted under the Directive 2005/56/EC on Cross-border mergers and the Economic Concentration Regulation 139/2004, known as the "EUMR".[1] The law requires that firms proposing to merge apply for prior approval from the Commission. The European Commission (EC) has exclusive competence over concentrations that meet certain thresholds. This is known as community dimension. A concentration with a turnover of the following will trigger commission jurisdiction. Mergers that transcend national borders and with an annual turnover of the combined business exceeds a worldwide turnover of over EUR 5000 million and Community-wide turnover of over EUR 250 million must notify and be examined by the European Commission.[2] Merger regulation thus involves predicting potential market conditions which would pertain after the merger. The standard set by the law is whether a combination would "significantly impede effective competition... in particular as a result of the creation or strengthening of a dominant position..."[3]
One reason why businesses may be motivated to merge is in order to reduce the transaction costs of negotiating bilateral contracts.[4] Another is to take advantage of increased economies of scale. However, increased market share and size may also increase market power, strengthening the negotiating position of the business. This is good for the firm, but can be bad for competitors and downstream entities (such as distributors or consumers). A monopoly is the most extreme case, where prices might be raised to the monopoly price instead of the lower competitive equilibrium price. An oligopoly is another potentially undesirable situation in which limited competition may allow higher prices than a market with more participants.
^The authority for the Commission to pass this regulation is found under Articles 3(1)(g), 308 and 83 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC)
^"Merger legislation of the EU - European Commission". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
^Art. 2(3) Reg. 129/2005
^Coase, Ronald H. (November 1937). "The Nature of the Firm" (PDF). Economica. 4 (16): 386–405. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0335.1937.tb00002.x. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2007.
and 26 Related for: European Union merger law information
EuropeanUnionlaw is a system of rules operating within the member states of the EuropeanUnion (EU). Since the founding of the European Coal and Steel...
In the EuropeanUnion, competition law promotes the maintenance of competition within the European Single Market by regulating anti-competitive conduct...
countries, mergers and acquisitions must comply with antitrust or competition law. In the United States, for example, the Clayton Act outlaws any merger or acquisition...
accordance with the corporate law of the EuropeanUnion (EU), introduced in 2004 with the Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Company. Such a company...
EuropeanUnionlaw (sometimes referred to as supremacy or precedence of Europeanlaw) is a legal principle establishing precedence of EuropeanUnion law...
The general principles of EuropeanUnionlaw are general principles of law which are applied by the European Court of Justice and the national courts of...
investigation of the merger. In February 2023, it was announced the European Commission would review the acquisition under the EuropeanUnionmergerlaws. On December...
between Member States and the Union was reorganised into the following scheme: EuropeanUnionlaw History of the EuropeanUnion Lisbon Treaty abolishes (3)...
The EuropeanUnion (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The Union has a total...
Treaty on EuropeanUnion: the European Parliament, the European Council (of heads of state or government), the Council of the EuropeanUnion (of state...
of Jacques Delors, the eighth President of the European Commission. Delors presided over the European Commission for three terms (though the last one...
Mergers in United Kingdom law is a theory-based regulation that helps forecast and avoid abuse, while indirectly maintaining a competitive framework within...
part of the EuropeanUnion, though they benefit from derogations from some EU laws due to their geographical remoteness from mainland Europe; thirteen Overseas...
Confederation Federation Irredentism List of proposed state mergers Real union Secession Union (disambiguation) Unionism (disambiguation)#Politics In a different...
alongside the Treaty on the Functioning of the EuropeanUnion (TFEU). The TEU forms the basis of EU law, by setting out general principles of the EU's...
In EuropeanUnionlaw, direct effect is the principle that Unionlaw may, if appropriately framed, confer rights on individuals which the courts of member...
title President of the EuropeanUnion (or President of Europe) does not exist, but there are a number of presidents of EuropeanUnion institutions, including:...
European Commission and approved by the Council of the EuropeanUnion and European Parliament to become law. Over the years the power of the European...
Union in matters of EuropeanUnionlaw. As a part of the Court of Justice of the EuropeanUnion, it is tasked with interpreting EU law and ensuring its uniform...
competition law has become global. The two largest and most influential systems of competition regulation are United States antitrust law and EuropeanUnion competition...
"Antitrust laws should be enforced vigorously." In the United States and Canada, and to a lesser extent in the EuropeanUnion, the modern law governing...
the proposals of the European Commission, which holds the right of initiative. The Council of the EuropeanUnion and the European Council are the only...
European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as by the case law of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. However...
into force in 1981 and implement a European Directive on takeovers. UK law on merger control follows EuropeanUnionlaw. The competence to deal with issues...