The Federal Cartel Office today approved Edeka’s acquisition of 178 Tegut stores, subject to certain conditions. Edeka has agreed not to acquire 24 additional stores over the next four years. Rebalance Now, Oxfam Germany, and Forum Fairer Handel have criticized the decision. Market concentration in the supermarket sector continues to rise, with negative consequences for consumers, the agricultural sector, and small businesses in the supply chains.
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.
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).
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.
Over 70 press freedom groups and NGOs, businesses, experts, and think tanks have called on the European Commission to rejects Google’s offered remedies in the adtech antitrust case. The letter initiated by Open Markets Institute, Future of Tech Institute and Rebalance Now, calls for structural remedies to curb Google’s anti-competitive practices.
Together with more than 75 organisations, we are calling on the negotiators of the German parties CDU/CSU and SPD to take concrete steps towards the control of digital platforms and digitalisation for the public interest. This includes the strict enforcement of EU rules, the closing of regulatory loopholes and the strengthening of public interest-oriented platform alternatives.
35 European NGOs call on the EU Commission to strictly enforce its rules against tech companies in an open letter.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the US government wants to force Google to sell Chrome. We welcome the US Department of Justice’s proposals to limit Google’s monopoly power.
The Monopolies Commission has presented new data on market concentration and price trends in the food sector. Supermarkets and manufacturers are winning, farmers are losing. A problematic development.
Fourteen NGOs from all over Europe are calling for a change of course in EU competition policy in a manifesto published today. The current approach is not effective enough to prevent the concentration of power.
