Eu To Finish Review Of Boeing Deal In July

The European Union’s antitrust regulators will complete their review of Boeing Co.’s plan to purchase McDonnell Douglas Corp. by the end of July, the EU’s top antitrust official said Friday.

Karel Van Miert, the EU’s Competition Commissioner, told a Capitol Hill audience that the EU has “extremely big concerns” about the Boeing merger and that one way the involved parties could alleviate the potential for problems would be to divest some of their assets. He declined to be specific, though.

“Remedies should be offered by the companies concerned,” he said. “It is not our position to impose remedies.”

Van Miert said the EU will complete a report on the proposed merger and forward its concerns to the companies involved by mid-May. A closed hearing on the issues will take place before the July deadline for the EU’s final verdict.