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Making & Saving Deals 2005 GE/Honeywell Why the European Commission said “No” Andrea De Matteis 7 June 2005. Outline. Introduction Merger Control in the World Merger Control in the EU GE/Honeywell Background information on the deal Relevant markets and position of parties
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Making & Saving Deals 2005 GE/Honeywell Why the European Commission said “No” Andrea De Matteis 7 June 2005
Outline • Introduction • Merger Control in the World • Merger Control in the EU • GE/Honeywell • Background information on the deal • Relevant markets and position of parties • Commission’s concerns & legal issues • Differences between the EU and US approach
Growth in merger control • 1914 - first merger control law adopted by US Congress (Clayton Act) • Today, more than 60 jurisdictions worldwide have merger control regimes • Approx. 50 have compulsory filing requirements
Member States’ control regimes Mandatory regime Voluntary regime No merger control 14 merger control regimes in the EU
European Commission • Merger Task Force (“MTF”) • Part of DG Competition • Commissioner Monti • Full Commission • Advisory Committee ofMember States • Reviews all concentrationswith a “Community-wide dimension”
The facts • Takeover involving two gigantic US companies: • The biggest ever industrial merger ($42 billion) • Combined worldwide turnover: $160 billion • in EU, GE $20 billion (and 85,000 employees) and Honeywell $5 billion • Deal concluded in 3 days without consulting antitrust counsel
Product Market GE Honeywell Engines for large commercial aircraft 0 Engines for large regional aircraft Dominant position (60%-70%) Substantial presence (30%-40%) Small share (10%-20%) Leading position (40%-50%) Avionics products (aircraftcontrol, flying conditions, navigation, communication) Engines for corporate aircraft 0 Leading position (50%-60%) Non avionics products (brakes, wheels, landing gear, aircraft lighting) 0 Leading position Engine Starters 0 Leading position Small marine gas turbines Active Leading position Affected markets Dominant position (52%-65%)
The challengers and their theories • GE Capital will impose exclusivity for Honeywell avionics and non-avionics • GECAS will only buy planes that have Honeywell avionics thereby foreclosing competitors • Lower-priced bundles of GE engines and Honeywell avionics and non-avionics will foreclose competitors
Conclusions Will there be more GE/Honeywell cases in the future? • There will be more attention paid to EC merger control by non-EU merging companies • GE/Honeywell is a rare exception to the rule of systematic convergent outcomes • Merger control necessarily involves a prospective analysis of inherently uncertain future effects • “Reasonable minds may reach different conclusions on the application of the same law to the same body of evidence." (Tim Muris, FTC Chairman)