Merger control has long been a cornerstone of competition enforcement in Germany, with the Federal Cartel Office (“FCO”) known for wielding its mandate decisively and not shying away from blocking notifiable deals if they are perceived to cause competitive harm. One example was the prohibition of CTS Eventim’s acquisition of the booking agency Four Artists…
The European Commission’s study on 20 years of EU antitrust remedies finds that while most remedies in antitrust cases were implemented, less than half achieved their intended effect. EU law currently subordinates structural remedies – such as divestments – to behavioral fixes. The study recommends scrapping this hierarchy, as behavioral remedies in particular often proved…
It was only a matter of time before the European Commission (“EC“) launched its first ever in-depth investigation of an M&A transaction under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (“FSR“). On 10 June 2024, that time came: The EC referred the acquisition of the Czech telecom operator PPF Telecom Group B.V. (“PPF“) by the Emirates Telecommunications Group…
