BKNG · News · 20260917N

EU Digital Regulation

Booking Holdings Inc. · 2026-09-17 · Importance 22 · Surprise 60

The EU General Court upheld the European Commission’s prohibition of Booking Holdings’ acquisition of eTraveli. The decision represents the Commission’s first merger block based on a pure ecosystem theory of harm and supports theories that expansion into complementary services can entrench a dominant position. The ruling increases regulatory scrutiny of Booking’s future acquisitions in the European Union and may require stronger efficiency evidence and remedies. Separately, a HOTREC study called for stricter enforcement of the EU Digital Markets Act against OTA practices affecting European hotels, particularly independent hotels and SMEs.

Key facts

• The ruling marked the first merger blocked based on a pure ecosystem theory of harm. source