Market concentration : The European Commission approves a merger leading to very high combined market shares in the chemicals sector with remedies (Synthomer / Omnova Solutions)

Synthomer and Omnova may not exactly be household names, but both companies are major producers of so-called specialty chemicals. These are products such as polymers, which are ubiquitous in our everyday life, as they are used as an ingredient in various finished products, including consumer goods, healthcare products, and construction materials. In July 2019, Synthomer, a UK-based firm, announced an agreement to acquire its US-based competitor Omnova. Synthomer’s factories are mostly located in Europe, where it also generates most of its turnover. Omnova, by contrast, derived most of its turnover from North America. This deal was originally not notifiable to the European Commission because it did not meet the turnover thresholds in the EU Merger Regulation. It came to the Commission