German logistics firm Beumer Group has launched legal proceedings against European Union antitrust regulators following their refusal to review rival Vanderlande’s acquisition of Siemens’ airport logistics division. According to court documents filed on July 17, Beumer is asking the Luxembourg-based General Court to annul the European Commission’s decision to stay out of the dispute.(Reuter)
The legal battle stems from a €300 million ($341.31 million) transaction announced two years ago, in which Dutch baggage-handling giant Vanderlande—owned by Japan’s Toyota Industries—agreed to buy Siemens’ specialized airport logistics unit. The deal quickly raised market concentration concerns for rival supplier Beumer.
Earlier this year, regulatory scrutiny began at the national level when Vanderlande formally submitted the transaction for antitrust approval in Portugal and Spain. Subsequently, those two nations, joined by Italy, requested that the European Commission take over the investigation at the pan-European level to assess its broader market impact.
However, the EU competition watchdog formally rejected the member states’ referral request. European Commission officials reasoned that an intervention was inappropriate because the transaction had already been operational and fully implemented for over a year. The executive body stated that national watchdogs in Portugal and Spain were well-equipped to handle the matter within their respective jurisdictions.
In its court appeal, Beumer argues that the Commission made a fundamental legal error by declining to intervene. The company contends that European regulators lacked the legal discretion to reject the referral request, maintaining that national competition authorities lack the necessary powers to enforce a full unwind of the completed acquisition.
While the Commission stated it remains ready to defend its decision in court, proceedings before the General Court typically require several years before reaching a final judgment.