The blocking of Booking/Etraveli – When the first victim of EU’s anti-US tech stand was a European

It came somewhat unexpected when Dutch Booking’s acquisition of Swedish Etraveli was blocked in the EU as the parties operated in two separate segments of the online economy, hotel accommodation and flight booking, making the merger unproblematic under normal circumstances. However, in the digital economy, nothing is normal as enforcement has tightened, mostly vis-`a-vis US tech giants but apparently also vis-`a-vis European undertakings. Interestingly, customers’ unwillingness to shop around for offers, as otherwise accepted by, e.g., the UK authority, played a role in the outcome. The decision has been challenged before the EU’s General Court, providing a case to watch.