// Blog
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.
Merger Control: Revisions to the EU Guidelines
The European Commission is currently revising its merger guidelines. We are closely monitoring this process and are advocating for a strengthening of the guidelines. Only recently, we have been participating in workshops organised by the Commission.
Our submission on the Risks of Google’s Acquisition of Wiz
Google intends to acquire the cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion. This would be the largest acquisition in Google’s history and another step toward strengthening Google’s market power. Together with partners, we have submitted a formal submission to the European Competition Authority, urging a thorough investigation of this merger.
New analysis of the Google empire
Big tech companies are surprisingly flexible in how they exercise power over the development and control of technology. An empirical study by Aline Blankertz, Brianna Rock and...
Open letter on Google adtech case to von der Leyen and Ribera
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.
Expert event in Brussels: Tightening the EU’s Merger Guidelines
The EU is revising its merger guidelines. In an event in the European Parliament, we argue for stronger rules to curb rising market concentration.
