CCPC welcomes draft EU merger guidelines but cautions against any relaxation of merger control

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), along with six other medium-sized EU Member State competition authorities, welcome new draft EU merger guidelines, which aim to modernise merger assessment in the EU. 

The draft guidelines set out a single unified framework for how the EU assesses whether mergers could harm competition.

The guidelines acknowledge that certain public interest considerations, such as innovation, resilience and sustainability, may be relevant in assessing the impact of mergers where they affect competitive dynamics.

The joint statement from the national competition authorities of Mid-Sized EU Economies (MIDs) underlines the risks from excessive market power and notes the fundamental role of merger control in preventing harmful structural changes which damage competition and make consumers worse off.  

Brian McHugh, Chairperson of the CCPC, said: 

“In order for Europe to remain competitive on a global stage, it’s vital to protect markets from harm with a well-functioning merger control regime. 

“Sustainable economic growth in Europe requires effective competition. I welcome the draft EU merger guidelines, which provide a strong analytical framework to properly assess market dynamics and protect competition within the EU.” 

The CCPC is one of the national competition authorities of MIDs, which bring a perspective of the issues faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) when dealing with larger businesses. 

Brian McHugh added: 

“SMEs are not well served when there is a single supplier and it is important to underline that enabling ‘European champions’ should not come at the cost of well-functioning, competitive markets.” 

MIDs fully support the European Commission’s commitment to robust evidence-based decisions to preserve vibrant markets that foster innovation and investment and drive better prices and quality for European businesses and consumers. 

For more information, read the full joint MIDs statement.