The Analysis of Coordinated Effects in Eu Merger Control: Where Do We Stand After Sony/Bmg and Impala?

"In this paper, we offer a comprehensive review of Sony/BMG and Impala. We not only draw conclusions regarding its contribution to the development of the merger control framework in the EU but also highlight certain blindspots in the competition assessment. The article is organised as follows. In Section B we sketch the economic and legal background of coordinated effects analysis. In Section C we turn to the arguments in the underlying Commission Decision. Section D then deals with the review by the CFI. Section E derives implications for the EU Merger Control framework. Section F concludes."