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A new era for EU Merger control?

A giant banner with "Democracy" written on it is seen on the side of the Berlaymont, the EU Commission headquarter on April 20, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.
Photo: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

Stéphane Dionnet | McDermott Will & Schulte, Axel Schulz | McDermott Will & Schulte, Kristina Nordlander | McDermott Will & Schulte+1

7 min read
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Key takeaways from the draft 2026 Merger Guidelines and practical advice.

On April 30, 2026, the European Commission (Commission) published its recast draft 2026 Merger Guidelines (2026 Draft Guidelines), which would replace the current horizontal and non-horizontal regime with a single, unified framework.

The 2026 Draft Guidelines provide greater scope for companies to rely on industrial scale, sustainability, resilience and innovation efficiencies through a structured

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