European Union: Issued Commission's Statement of Objections over proposed acquisition of iRobot by Amazon

On 27 November 2023, the European Commission issued its Statement of Objections over the proposed acquisition of iRobot by Amazon. The Statement of Objections expresses the Commission's concerns that the acquisition may harm competing robot vacuum cleaners (RVC) suppliers' ability to compete effectively in the market. Furthermore, the Commission highlighted Amazon's potential ability and incentives to foreclose iRobot's rivals by employing various strategies on its online marketplace. The Commission stated that such actions could lead to higher prices, lower quality, and less innovation in the RVC market. Amazon now has the opportunity to respond to the objections before a final decision is made by the Commission on February 2024.