Alstom and Siemens have offered to make new concessions to satisfy antitrust demands in order to get the go-ahead for their rail merger. If successful, it would be the world’s second largest rail company with combined revenues in the region of €15 billion.
Credit: Alstom
Credit: Alstom
The decision from the European Commission is likely to take place on 6 February ahead of the 18 February deadline, however, according to Alstom, there is ‘still no certainty that the content of this package will be sufficient to alleviate the concerns of the Commission.”
According to Reuters, Siemens and Alstom have said they are now prepared to share Siemens’ high-speed train technology for 10 years instead of five in Europe. They have argued that their deal would enable them to compete with China’s state-owned CRRC, but the EU has said its priority is protecting consumer interests rather than those of industrial corporations.
There is mixed opinion on the issue throughout Europe. Competition agencies in Germany, Britain, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium have warned against the merger, while the French and German governments have said that halting the deal would be a mistake.
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