European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday the EU executive was not needlessly blocking corporate mergers, reported Bloomberg. In a speech to industrialists, Juncker said the Commission had only ever blocked 30 mergers and approved more than 6,000. “This is a message for those who are saying that the commission is composed of blind, […]
According to Reuters, EU antitrust regulators approved a Polish plan to grant €36 million (US$41.1 million) to South Korean company LG Chem’s electric vehicles batteries plant, saying that the project would boost regional development. The €325 million (US$371.4 million) project is expected to supply batteries for more than 80,000 electric cars per year in Europe […]
The European Commission on Friday cleared BASF’s acquisition of Solvay’s nylon assets after the two parties promised a remedy package addressing anti-trust concerns. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2019. The German chemical major announced its intention to acquire the assets in 2017 for €1.6bn. However, the EU antitrust authorities had asked […]
The European Commission has proposed, in two separate decisions, that Italy and Spain align their taxation of ports with State aid rules. Cross-border competition plays an important role in the ports sector and the Commission is committed to ensuring a level playing field in this key economic sector. Ports carry out both non-economic which typically […]
A measure to support the production of electricity from renewable energy sources and a measure to support electro-intensive users in Lithuania have been approved by the European Commission, under EU State aid rules, the Commission’s competition chief has said. “These two schemes will allow Lithuania to both continue supporting the development of renewable energy sources […]
The European Commission announced that it would investigate Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri’s planned acquisition of French counterpart Chantiers de l’Atlantique after France and that Germany requested the investigation. The merged entity would not have a turnover high enough to require notification to EU regulators. “However, the plan was notified for authorization in France and Germany,” the […]
The European Commission plans to prolong, for two years, seven sets of State aid rules, otherwise set to expire in 2020. The Commission also launched an evaluation of those rules and of other State aid rules on Monday, January 7, to assess whether to further prolong them or possibly update them in the future. Since […]
The European Commission would make “an economic error” and “a political mistake” by blocking a proposed Alstom-Siemens merger, French Economy minister Bruno Le Maire said Sunday, January 6. “If the European Commission was to make an unfavorable decision regarding this merger, it would be for the wrong reasons. It would not only be an economic […]
A total of 19 EU governments have proposed updating the EU’s antitrust rules in order to facilitate the emergence of European industrial giants able to face “fierce competition” from the US and China. After a ministerial meeting in Paris on Tuesday, December 18, the group of 19 countries called for “new political impetus” to ensure […]
On Tuesday, December 18, the European Commission found that an integrated project jointly notified by France, Germany, Italy, and the UK for research and innovation in microelectronics, a key enabling technology, is in line with EU State aid rules and contributes to a common European interest. The four Member States will provide in the coming […]