The European Commission Approves a Merger Leading to Very High Combined Market Shares in the Chemicals Sector with Remedies

Concurrences Competition Law Review Nr. 3-2020

4 Pages Posted: 10 Sep 2020

See all articles by Simon Vande Walle

Simon Vande Walle

University of Tokyo - Graduate Schools for Law and Politics

Date Written: July 15, 2020

Abstract

This case note analyses and comments on the European Commission’s decision to approve the acquisition of Omnova by Synthomer. Both companies are major producers of so-called specialty chemicals.

The Commission cleared the acquisition in Phase I, after the parties offered remedies to address the anti-competitive effects which the Commission had identified.

The decision offers an interesting example of how market shares and concentration levels are taken into account in merger analysis. It also illustrates how competition from Asia is taken into account in the analysis. This topic has come under the spotlight recently, as several governments, notably the French and German government, have called on the Commission to take greater account of the fact that European companies face global competition, particularly from Asia.


Keywords: antitrust law, competition law, mergers, concentrations

JEL Classification: K21

Suggested Citation

Vande Walle, Simon, The European Commission Approves a Merger Leading to Very High Combined Market Shares in the Chemicals Sector with Remedies (July 15, 2020). Concurrences Competition Law Review Nr. 3-2020, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3662847

Simon Vande Walle (Contact Author)

University of Tokyo - Graduate Schools for Law and Politics ( email )

7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-Ku
Tokyo, 113-0033
Japan

HOME PAGE: http://www.simonvandewalle.eu

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