Market power versus Efficiency Defence in the European Commission’s Merger Policy – Airneth seminar by Adél Schroepfer

On the 27th of August Adél Schroepfer from DLR visited The Hague to present some of the findings of het PhD thesis at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Few will argue that company mergers result in a more concentrated industry. However, whether this outcome is desirable for society is a different question. On the one hand, market concentration leads to market power increases, which can in turn lead to higher profitability and misallocation of resources. On the other, merges can lead to efficiency gains through economies of scale and synergies. In her thesis, Adél Schroepfer examines the evidence on European airline mergers to find out which defence is decisive in the European Commission’s merger policy.

More information or the presentation slides can be requested via email.

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