BERLIN (Reuters) - European Union antitrust rules could be reformed to introduce a two-stage review of mergers that would examine competition issues and then broader public interests, said the head of a German commission tasked with coming up with reforms proposals.
Germany and France want to overhaul EU mergers rules following the European Commission's veto of efforts by Siemens and Alstom (PA:ALSO) to create a European rail champion to compete with larger foreign rivals.
Achim Wambach, who heads the German commission charged with presenting reform proposals, said a two-stage review of mergers could first look at competition issues and then at broader public interests - such as security issues and the impact on consumers.
"One could imagine that an authority examines the competition issues, and then one could, for example, apply to the EU Commission for a 'commission permit', which also takes into account the wider public interest," Wambach, also head of Germany's Monopolies Commission, told Reuters.
France and Germany are pushing for a reform of EU competition rules to take a more global rather than solely European view of mergers and potentially to allow EU ministers to have a say.
"In my opinion, there would have to be a European Monopolies Commission which would work with the European Commission," Wambach said.
"The process must be as transparent and objective as possible. The basis for this should always be an appraisal that provides information about the effects on public welfare. And then decisions would be made on that basis," he added.