EU Plans to Revise Merger Control Guidelines by 2026 to Boost Global Competitiveness

The European Commission is set to revise the EU merger control framework by 2026, aiming to modernize the guidelines in response to significant global economic changes and geopolitical shifts. For two decades, EU merger control has played a crucial role in safeguarding competition and consumer interests. However, emerging calls for revision emphasize the need to better incorporate global competitiveness and efficiency considerations in merger assessments.

The Centrum für Europäische Politik (cep) highlights that while the core principles of the merger control framework remain valid, targeted updates are essential. Economists and legal experts at cep suggest that the revised guidelines should more prominently consider competitive pressures from non-EU companies when defining relevant markets, especially within the financial sector.

Moreover, the cep recommends recognizing long-term and dynamic efficiency gains—not only immediate effects—in evaluating mergers. They caution against blanket preferences for strategically important sectors, advising instead that the guidelines clearly outline how such strategic interests should influence merger control decisions.

Philipp Eckhardt, an economist at cep, remarked that ‘‘a fundamental redesign is unnecessary,’’ but ‘‘targeted modernizations’’ are vital to address current global challenges. Anastasia Kotowski, a lawyer at cep, stressed the importance of factoring in global competitive pressures from outside the EU. The European Commission’s move reflects an effort to balance maintaining competition principles with fostering a framework that promotes global economic competitiveness around mergers and acquisitions.