// Blog
The Bundeskartellamt must finally make use of its new powers to intervene
With the 11th amendment to German Competition Law (GWB) in 2023, lawmakers provided the Bundeskartellamt with a tool that had long been missing: Following sector inquiries, the agency can now intervene on its own, including by imposing structural measures. So far, this tool has been used only to a limited extent.
Conflict of Interest: Oxera Study on Merger Control
For the revision of the guidelines, the European Commission commissioned a study on the effects of mergers. The contract went to the economic consulting firm Oxera, which simultaneously advises companies on mergers and represents their interests. This leads to serious conflicts of interest.
Google brings in more than €2 billion per week in EU despite breaking competition law
One year ago, the European Commission imposed a fine of 2.95 billion euros on Google. The reason: The company was found to be in violation of competition law. At the time of the decision, the Commission stated that Google would likely have to spin off parts of its business in order to comply with legal requirements. One year on it’s “big business as usual for Google” in Europe as the Commission has not decided on any further measures since then.
New Competition Law Reform: Pros and Cons
On July 15, the Federal Cabinet approved a draft bill for a further reform of competition law. It is aimed at making limited changes and simplifications. The Bundestag will consider the bill after the summer recess. We welcome some specific improvements. In other areas, however, we see a need for further refinement and missed opportunities.
Submission on the EU’s merger guidelines
At the end of April 2026, the European Commission published its draft merger guidelines. The guidelines set forth how and according to what criteria business mergers are reviewed. We have submitted written comments on this matter and, in light of increasing market concentration in Europe, are calling for stricter guidelines.
Letter by Academics: Call on Ireland to recuse itself from digital and fiscal files
The Irish Government should recuse itself from negotiating legislation that touches on digital policy and corporate tax in Brussels during its Council of the EU presidency, given its “questionable track record” and cozy relationship with tech multinationals, a group of 50 academics rightly says in an open letter to the Irish Government.
Draft Merger Control Guidelines – A Cause for Concern
Following a lengthy consultation period, the European Commission published its draft guidelines for merger control last week. These guidelines will serve as the basis for reviewing major mergers in Europe and deciding whether to approve or block them. Our initial reaction: the draft is cause for concern and potentially lays the groundwork for greater market concentration in Europe.
Von der Leyen Halts Billions-Dollar Fine Against Google – Criticism from Parliament and Civil Society
Ursula von der Leyen has halted a previously planned multibillion-euro fine against Google at the last minute. In an open letter released today, more than 30 organizations are calling on the Commission President to impose the fine promptly and thus effectively enforce the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
New study warns of concentration of power in agricultural supply chains
A new study by Rebalance Now and Misereor shows: A few corporations are increasingly controlling agricultural supply chains. This drives up prices, puts small farms at a disadvantage and encourages unfair trade practices. We are therefore calling for stricter scrutiny of large mergers and better rules against unfair trading practices.
Bonn Against Amazon: A remarkable initiative by the Federal Cartel Office
Amazon’s market power is enormous. In e-commerce, the company accounts for 60 percent of online sales in Germany. The Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) is taking action against the abuse of that power. This is an important, though long-overdue step.
The EU’s clearance of Google/Wiz: the wrong decision
Civil society organisations across Europe seriously regret the European Commission’s decision to unconditionally clear Google’s proposed acquisition of Wiz. The decision runs...
Digital Merger Watch: Current trends in big tech mergers
We are part of the Digital Merger Watch (DMW) project. In this project, we track Big Tech’s mergers and acquisitions. Here is our latest update.
