Where Global Merger Control is Really Heading? with William E. Kovacic (GWU Law School), François-Charles Laprévote (Cleary Gottlieb) and Antoine Chapsal (Analysis Group)
In this new episode, William E. Kovacic (GWU Law School), in discussion with François-Charles Laprévote (Cleary Gottlieb) and Antoine Chapsal (Analysis Group), closed the Global Merger Control Conference that occurred in Paris on the 26th of June 2026. If you would like to read more about this conference, see speakers' photos and/or videos, check this page. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Evolving Role of Competition Authorities in Industrial Policy and Innovation - Competition authorities are well placed to advise governments on industrial policy, drawing on their expertise in market dynamics, competition and industry evolution. - Their role should primarily be to inform public policy decisions rather than incorporating broader political objectives directly into merger enforcement. - Expanding competition law to pursue multiple policy goals increases political influence over enforcement and may undermine the independence of competition authorities. - Broad enforcement discretion should be accompanied by greater transparency, clear reasoning and robust disclosure to preserve accountability and legal certainty. - The influence of merger guidelines ultimately depends on consistent implementation, persuasive economic analysis and the development of case law. - Assessing innovation and dynamic competition requires multidisciplinary expertise extending beyond law and economics to include technical and sector-specific knowledge. - Competition authorities need stronger analytical capabilities, better data and greater resources to address increasingly complex regulatory responsibilities. - Effective competition enforcement in innovation-driven markets depends not only on sound legal frameworks but also on sustained institutional investment and technical expertise. DOCUMENTATION Paul Gilbert, Ricardo Zimbron, Anders Jay, Nicholas Levy, The UK Competition Authority clears the merger between 2 major telecommunications companies subject to behavioural commitments (Vodafone / Three), 5 December 2024, e-Competitions December 2024, Art. N° 122350. UK Competition Authority, The UK Competition Authority clears a merger in the telecommunications market subject to legally binding commitments to roll out a combined 5G network (Vodafone / Three), 5 December 2024, e-Competitions December 2024, Art. N° 122329. Veronica Roberts, Kristien Geeurickx, Christon Shenolikar, The UK Competition Authority launches a consultation on the revised merger remedies guidance, 16 October 2025, e-Competitions October 2025, Art. N° 129345. Follow us on LinkedIn to receive updates on our next podcast episodes. You can explore our database and try our Concurrences AI tool free of charge for one week by registering on this page .





