The European Commission has officially declined a request to intervene in the acquisition of Siemens Logistics by Vanderlande, a move that leaves the regulatory oversight in the hands of national authorities. The Commission rejected a referral request initially submitted by Portugal and later supported by Spain and Italy. The case centers on the airport logistics market, specifically focusing on baggage handling systems.
The decision highlights a complex jurisdictional timeline. Because the acquisition did not meet the specific financial thresholds required for an automatic EU-level review, it was handled at the national level. While the deal was first submitted to German authorities in 2024, a restructuring of the transaction eventually removed it from Germany’s jurisdiction. Consequently, the deal was notified to Spanish and Portuguese regulators in March 2026.
In its assessment, the Commission acknowledged that while the merger likely affects trade between EU Member States, a formal intervention under Article 22 of the EU Merger Regulation was deemed inappropriate. A primary factor in this refusal is that the transaction has already been active and implemented for over a year. The Commission noted that the “traditional” nature of the airport logistics industry is something that national competition authorities are well-equipped to manage without centralized intervention.
As a result, the competition watchdogs in Portugal and Spain will continue their independent reviews of the merger. They will be tasked with determining if the tie-up between the Dutch-based Vanderlande and the German Siemens unit creates an unfair monopoly or significantly hampers competition in the baggage handling sector across the Iberian Peninsula.
