Merkel, Macron Push for New EU Merger Rules After Rail Veto (1)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron stepped up their campaign to overhaul European Union antitrust rules so that companies in the region can better compete with global giants in the U.S. and China.

The EU’s increasingly tough merger reviews frequently target German and French firms. That’s frustrating Merkel and Macron, who want to see companies from the continent leading the way in sectors from technology and telecommunications to transport and aerospace.

Current EU antitrust rules foster doubt “about whether we can really create global players,” Merkel said in a speech at a technology conference in Berlin Feb. ...