Brussels Observer: February 13

CTFN's Brussels?Observer?newsletter is curated by European Commission and UK Competition and Markets Authority Reporter,?Michael Bow.?Sign up here to receive CTFN's newsletters directly in your inbox.

In this issue...

• EC accepts global divestment remedy in MBCC/Sika
• Telecom-advertising deal cleared after Brussels probe
• Estonia sticks up for Illumina and GRAIL in EC dispute
• Wonderbox/Smartbox deal faces French scrutiny
• Chicken-feed deal collapses after CMA Phase 2 starts

Calendar

• February 15: Concurrences hosts a conference in Paris on competition-law enforcement, featuring a European Commission legal advisor. Register here.????
• February 14: DG Competition chief economist Pierre Régibeau speaks at Concertations de l'Entente in Brussels. More information here.

Brussels?

Sika/MBCC | The European Commission cleared Sika’s takeover of MBCC after accepting a global divestment remedy submitted to other agencies reviewing the deal. Sika pledged to sell MBCC’s chemical-admixture business to ease EC concerns. This is the same remedy accepted by the UK Competition and Markets Authority in December. EU competition head Margrethe Vestager said Sika and MBCC products are “essential'' for the EU’s green-transition policy.?

Signal processing | Data-protection authorities took part in the EC’s review of a digital-advertising JV between telecom giants Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone. The JV, known as Trustpid, supplies a cookie to identify telecom customers who visit websites on their phones. The EC cleared the deal last week after exploring vertical and conglomerate effects, noting its consultation of data-protection agencies.

Estonia | The Republic of Estonia is supporting Illumina and GRAIL in an ongoing dispute with the EC over their retroactively blocked $8 billion merger. Estonia applied to intervene on behalf of the merging parties in an appeal against the European Court of Justice’s Article 22 decision, according to an Illumina statement last week. Judges ruled last year that the EC lacks authority to review the deal, which the EC subsequently blocked. An appeal by Illumina is ongoing.

Member states

France | France’s merger watchdog is gathering market feedback on the proposed merger of experience-gift-card providers Wonderbox and Smarbox. The Autorité de la Concurrences emailed questionnaires to experience providers such as hotels, restaurants and beauty businesses to gather their views on the tie-up. The deal has not yet been notified to the ADLC. The answers are likely to feed into pre-filing discussions between the regulator and the parties.

UK?

Off the bone | A UK chicken feed tie-up was abandoned after the CMA opened a Phase 2 investigation. The merger between FoFarmers and Boparan’s 2Agriculture was tipped into an in-depth investigation last year after concerns from customers over how the deal would affect poultry-feed prices. The parties offered concessions to the CMA before Phase 2 began, but the agency rejected these. The deal then collapsed, according to the agency.?

Merger updates

• Microsoft has Thursday until February 16 to submit EC remedies to keep the case within the 90 working day timetable. If remedies are submitted after Thursday, 15 working days will be added to the timetable.
• Viasat will find out today, February 13, whether its takeover of Inmarsat will be referred for an in-depth EC investigation. The CMA has already taken the case to Phase 2.?
• Five transactions were notified to the EC last week (February 6 through February 10).

Decisions, decisions

• The EC published the full 26-page Article 21 decision which challenged Hungary over a veto of an insurance deal. Hungary blocked Vienna Insurance Group’s takeover of Aegon’s Hungary business despite the EC approving the deal. The matter was eventually resolved, and Hungary withdrew the veto.

Trending on CTFN.news

• SJR/RCI: Industry minister visits Washington as positive merger decision remains consensus view
• Early in process for a permanent FERC chair
• TGNA/Standard General: FCC roadmap yet to be determined; Sohn installment under consideration

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