Central, Northern Countries Push Back On Franco-German Merger Drive

By Magnus Lund Nielsen

(EurActiv) -- A group of countries from Northern and Central Europe is urging the Commission not to give in to pressure to loosen competition rules as part of the bloc’s competitiveness drive.

The European Commission is facing growing pressure – particularly from France and Germany – to relax EU competition rules in order to allow the emergence of “European champions” capable of competing with large companies from third countries.

But a group consisting of Czechia...