European Union: Issued Judgement of the General Court upholding the Commission's approval of acquisition of Certain Liberty Global Assets by Vodafone

On 13 November 2024, the General Court of the EU upheld the European Commission's decision to authorise Vodafone’s acquisition of Liberty Global's telecommunications activities in Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania, rejecting appeals from Deutsche Telekom, Tele Columbus, and NetCologne. These companies argued that the merger would strengthen Vodafone's dominance, especially in Germany’s retail TV signal transmission market, potentially harming competition. The Court found that the Commission had correctly assessed that Vodafone and Liberty Global were not direct or potential competitors in the German TV signal transmission market before the merger. It ruled that the acquisition would not disrupt any existing competitive relationships or significantly hinder market competition. The judgment emphasised that even if the merger created a dominant position, it did not automatically mean a substantial reduction in competition, thus validating the Commission’s original approval.