The EU Court of Justice rules the Commission violated the rights of the defence when it failed to share the final economic model used in its decision to block a merger (UPS / TNT)

In Short The Development: The European Court of Justice ("ECJ") ruled that the European Commission ("Commission") violated UPS's rights of defense when it failed to provide UPS with the final economic model used in its decision to block UPS's proposed acquisition of TNT in 2013. The Result: The Commission must provide merging parties with all the factors on which it bases a decision to block a transaction, including the key analytical steps and calculations in any economic models. Looking Ahead: The ruling will lead to increased Commission and National Competition Authority ("NCA") transparency regarding economic evidence and provide more opportunities for merging parties to engage with the Commission and NCAs about