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
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: Suggested Citation