On 9 June 2023, the European Commission announced that it had sent Booking a Statement of Objections over the proposed acquisition of eTraveli and opened a Phase 2 investigation. The Commission notified Booking Holdings of its initial assessment that the proposed acquisition of Flugo Group Holdings AB (eTraveli) could strengthen Booking's position in the market for hotel online travel agencies (OTAs) in the European Economic Area (EEA). Booking and eTraveli both provide OTA services, with Booking focusing on hotel OTAs and eTraveli on flight OTAs. The Commission following its in-depth investigation, preliminarily concluded that Booking has a dominant position in the hotel OTA market in the European Economic Area and noted that the acquisition could further strengthen Booking's dominance, increase barriers to entry and expansion for competing OTAs, and raise costs for hotels and customers. Booking now has the opportunity to respond to the Commission's objections. The transaction was notified to the Commission in October 2022, and the Commission has until August 2023 to issue its final decision.
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