On January 20, 2004, the European Union Council of Ministers approved Council Regulation No. 139/2004 EC Merger Regulation (ECMR), a new merger law that became effective on May 1, 2004, concerning the control of concentrations between undertakings. This new regulation, which replaced Regulation 4064/89, increases the powers of the commission to review and block transactions that have a European Community scope. It also introduces more flexibility to the notification review process.