Both companies behind the venture are active in the
manufacturing and selling of aerospace products and services and
will via MyAircraft.com provide "one-stop shopping" and supply
management functions for all aerospace participants. US-based
company i2 will provide to MyAircraft.com the necessary software
under a license agreement.
The deal was notified to the Commission on 3rd July under the
European Union's Merger Regulation, or merger control law. After
reviewing this B2B exchange the Commission concluded that the
operation would not give rise to competition concerns. The
Commission said yesterday that MyAircraft.com is seen by third
parties as a tool to make operations within the aerospace sector
quicker, more efficient and less costly.
The Commission said it took into consideration the relatively
high number of other B2B market places in the same sector that are
already operating or which have been announced. Its conclusion was
that MyAircraft.com will in all likelihood face strong competition
from other similar web-sites.
MyAircraft.com was examined under the EU's Merger Regulation
because it will be a full-function venture jointly controlled by
its parent companies. However, not all B2B electronic market places
will qualify for review under the Merger Regulation. B2B electronic
market places set up by single companies, for example, would not
fall under the regulation because there would be no concentration.
Again, if the parents do not exercise control over the strategic
commercial decisions of a joint venture then there is no
concentration in the sense of the Merger Regulation and hence the
operation would not be reviewed under the Regulation.
The next B2B site to be considered by Europe’s competition
authorities is expected to be Covisint, a car parts marketplace
planned by Ford, General Motors, Daimler/Chrysler and
Renault/Nissan. The venture is presently being scrutinised by the
US Federal Trade Commission.
