EU Plans to Ease Merger Rules to Spur Global Champions, Report Says

The European Union is planning to present as early as next month guidelines that would ease the pathway for mega-mergers, part of a push designed to create firms with the size to compete with US and Chinese rivals.

A person familiar with the matter said the upcoming review of the bloc’s merger guidelines would allow companies to pitch arguments about the efficiency benefits of deals under review - including how certain mergers could promote innovation and resilience. The person added that the guidelines were still in draft form and could yet change ahead of a planned publication date in May.