EU merger control and innovation

Summary:

Innovation is a critical component for the success of the European Commission's top priority of boosting jobs, growth and investment. This Competition policy brief discusses the specific contribution of merger enforcement to the protection and promotion of innovation as one parameter of competition alongside price and output and other factors. It sets out how the EU merger control regime takes into account both negative and positive innovation effects of mergers that fall within its jurisdiction.

Section 1 discusses the benefits of competition for innovation in light of economic theory. Section 2 summarises the EU merger control rules for assessing innovation effects. Section 3 sets out how they have been applied to merger cases.

Further information:

The Competition Policy Briefs are occasional papers by staff of the Competition Directorate-General of the European Commission about policy issues and key cases.

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