EU to Open Review of Bayer, Monsanto Deal
29 June 2016 - 8:11PM
Dow Jones News
By Natalia Drozdiak
BRUSSELS--The European Union's antitrust agency signaled
Wednesday it would conduct a strict review of Bayer AG's pending
$62 billion purchase of Monsanto Co. and similar mergers by rivals,
an unusually early statement before the EU has received formal
notification of a deal.
"Our final decision [on the Bayer- Monsanto deal] must strictly
and impartially apply European merger control rules", said European
Union Antitrust Chief Margrethe Vestager in a letter to two Members
of the European Parliament posted on the Green Party's website.
The Green Party lawmakers, Martin Haeusling and Sven Giegold,
had voiced concerns about the merger to the European Commission,
the bloc's antitrust agency.
"In our investigation, we will take into account your concerns
about the effects of the Bayer-Monsanto merger on prices, the
variety of available seed products as well as research and
innovation," Ms. Vestager said.
Write to Natalia Drozdiak at natalia.drozdiak@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 29, 2016 05:56 ET (09:56 GMT)
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