EU Antitrust Regulator Suspends Dow-DuPont Merger Review

By Natalia Drozdiak 

BRUSSELS--The European Union's antitrust regulator on Friday said it had suspended its deadline for a review into the proposed merger of Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. because the companies hadn't submitted important information demanded of them.

"The commission has stopped the clock in its in-depth investigation into the proposed merger between Dow and DuPont," said European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso. "To comply with merger deadlines, parties must supply the necessary information for the investigation in a timely fashion."

The EU in August opened an in-depth probe into the merger on concerns the combination may reduce competition in crop protection, seeds and certain petrochemicals.

The proposed merger, disclosed in December, would unite the two companies with a combined market capitalization of roughly $122 billion, before splitting into three separate companies. Dow and DuPont in July privately outlined concessions to EU authorities to address antitrust concerns in the bloc.

Once the companies submit the requested information, the commission will then restart the clock on its merger review. The commission's most recent deadline for the review had been set for early 2017.

Write to Natalia Drozdiak at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 09, 2016 07:27 ET (11:27 GMT)

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