We estimate the deterrence effects of European Commission (EC) merger policy instruments over the 1990-2009 period. Our … remedies, and preventions – phase-1 remedies lead to fewer merger notifications in subsequent years. Furthermore, the …

We investigate the impact of cartel breakdowns on merger activity. Merging information on cartel cases decided by the … European Commission (EC) between 2000 and 2011 with a detailed data set of worldwide merger activity, we find that, first, the … average number of all merger transactions increase by up to 51 percent when comparing the three years before the cartel …

to the merger. We show that a PPO reduces the minimal synergy level necessary to make a merger beneficial for consumers …. It follows that an antitrust authority ignoring existing PPOs when evaluating merger proposals (which reflects the … current EU merger control regime) invites sneaky takeovers: Acquiring firms strategically use PPOs prior to a full merger …