European Union (EU) antitrust regulators have restarted their investigation into the Boeing-Embraer commercial tie-up that would result in a new company named Boeing Brazil.
Previously, regulators paused the investigation due to insufficient documentation. The probe was supposed to be done by February 20, 2020.
“This procedure in merger investigations is activated if the parties fail to provide, in a timely fashion, important information that the Commission has requested from them,” a spokesperson confirmed to AeroTime in November 2019.
Now, following the hand-over of the required documents, the EU has resumed its procedure. A decision is set to be pronounced on April 30, 2020, whether or not the Commission will approve the $4.2 billion tie-up, something Boeing has been aiming to complete since 2018. The deal, seen as the counter to the Airbus-Bombardier partnership on the CSeries/A220 aircraft, would allow the U.S. and Brazil-based manufacturers “to deliver greater value to airline customers and the flying public, and to accelerate growth in global aerospace markets.”
However, the EU is a bit skeptical, noting in a press release on October 4, 2019, that the transaction “may reduce competition” in the commercial aircraft sector.
