Trending this season at the European Commission: agrochemical mergers
On 22 August 2017 the European Commission opened a Phase II investigation into the proposed acquisition of Monsanto Company by Bayer AG for US $66 billion. The proposed concentration would create the world’s largest integrated pesticides and seeds company, at a time of significant consolidation within the agrochemicals industry. Bayer/Monsanto is the last of three transformative concentrations within the agrochemicals sector, preceded by Dow/DuPont and ChemChina/Syngenta, both conditionally cleared by the Commission at Phase II earlier this year. Each transaction was assessed on its own merits, but also subject to the ‘priority’ rule: the transaction that is notified first is assessed first. Bayer/Monsanto will therefore be assessed in light of the market structure created after the Dow/DuPont and ChemChina/Syngenta mergers.
Also in this newsletter
CMA clears merger between Birmingham hospitals on the basis of patient benefits
CMA fines golf club manufacturer Ping for banning online sales
Korea Fair Trade Commission fines Gore KRW3.67 billion (approx. €2.7 million) for unfair trade practices
