The European Commission's (EC) industry commissioner, Martin Bangemann, has proposed relaxing the EC's tough anti-competition rules to help drive the "essential restructuring of the European aerospace industry".
In an unprecedented move, which is seen as a further response to the recent merger of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, Bangemann has admitted that the ban on the buy-out of Canada's de Havilland Aircraft in 1991 by the Aerospatiale /Alenia ATR regional aircraft consortium was a mistake.
"The lesson to draw from it is that we must consider world markets when we authorise or prohibit a merger," he says.
"If all of the European manufacturers merged, the total size of the resulting group would still be smaller than Boeing alone," he adds.
The EC's competition commissioner, Karel Van Miert, while not in the position when the de Havilland deal was prohibited, has been urged to be more supportive of future planned mergers.
Source: Flight International
