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ARTICLE · 14 JUNE 2022

EU Merger Control—Recent Developments And Ongoing Trends

Arnold & Porter
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2021 has been a record-setting year in global M&A activity. Total transaction volume topped $5.5 trillion, exceeding prior peaks in 2007 and 2015 that remained below $5 billion.

European UnionAntitrust/Competition Law
Axel Gutermuth
Axel Gutermuth
Lazarinka Naydenova
Lazarinka Naydenova
Louis F. van der Werff
Louis F. van der Werff
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2021 has been a record-setting year in global M&A activity. Total transaction volume topped $5.5 trillion, exceeding prior peaks in 2007 and 2015 that remained below $5 billion.1 In parallel, the number of global merger control filings increased. The European Commission (EC) alone received 403 merger filings in 2021, which is 44 more than in 2020 and the second highest figure in the history of European Union (EU) merger control. This Advisory first reviews key developments in EU merger control in 2021 and highlights developing trends.2 The second part analyzes key themes of important EC merger decisions adopted in 2021.

Key themes in EC merger decisions

New Article 22 EUMR referral policy seeks to create EC review power for transactions not requiring any merger filings within the EU

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