Connect Europe and the GSMA have urged the European Commission to adopt a more investment-friendly approach to merger control, arguing that revised EU merger guidelines should better reflect the role of consolidation in supporting competitiveness, innovation and economic resilience.

The two industry associations submitted a joint response to the Commission’s public consultation on the revision of the EU Merger Guidelines, saying the reform comes at a time of growing economic, technological and geopolitical pressures on Europe.

According to the organisations, merger policy should support the European Union’s broader objectives of strengthening competitiveness, resilience and long-term investment capacity, particularly in capital-intensive industries such as telecommunications.

The associations welcomed elements of the Commission’s draft guidelines that recognise scale, investment, innovation and resilience as potentially pro-competitive factors. However, they argued that the final version should go further in reshaping how mergers are assessed.

In particular, Connect Europe and the GSMA called for greater consideration of the long-term benefits that mergers can generate, including increased investment, improved network quality, innovation and enhanced resilience.

They argued that these efficiencies should be evaluated using practical and realistic assessment methods, rather than being subject to stricter evidentiary standards than potential competitive harms identified during merger reviews.

The organisations also said merger assessments should strike a better balance between analysing potential risks to competition and recognising the economic benefits of consolidation.

According to Connect Europe and the GSMA, the revised guidelines should demonstrate that EU merger control is evolving towards a framework that better supports investment, competitiveness and resilience while continuing to safeguard effective competition.