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Bargaining Failures and Merger Policy

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  • Roberto Burguet
  • Ramon Caminal

Abstract

We study approval rules in a model where horizontal merger proposals arise endogenously as the outcome of negotiations among the firms in the industry. We make two main points. First, relatively ine¢ cient merger proposals succeed with positive probability. That is, the negotiation process may result in a particular merger agreement despite the existence of an alternative one that would generate higher profits and higher consumer surplus. Second, the antitrust authority should optimally commit to an approval rule that is more stringent for all mergers than the optimal ex-post rule.

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  • Roberto Burguet & Ramon Caminal, 2014. "Bargaining Failures and Merger Policy," Working Papers 633, Barcelona School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bge:wpaper:633
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    Cited by:

    1. Roberto Burguet & Ramon Caminal, 2015. "Bargaining Failures And Merger Policy," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 56(3), pages 1019-1041, August.
    2. Andreea Cosnita‐Langlais & Jean‐Philippe Tropeano, 2023. "Merger selection, evidence provision, and the timing of merger control," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 209-222, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    endogenous mergers; merger policy; inefficient bargaining; synergies; antitrust; flexible protocol;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices

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