An Evaluation of the Economization of European Merger Control
Report
of
July 16, 2014
The role of merger control is to protect the interests of consumers over those of major corporations. To improve this protection, European merger control underwent comprehensive reforms in 2004. The aim was to increase the importance of economic principles in reaching verdicts. An empirical study indicates that the Commission is now making fewer mistakes since the reforms. However, prohibiting mergers, which sends a clear signal to the market, happens all too rarely.