The European Commission sent a Statement of Objections to Vivendi, asserting a “preliminary view that the company breached the [EU] notification requirement and the ‘standstill obligation,'” suggesting that the French company may have breached EU merger rules by asserting control over aspects of Lagardere in 2023, before the commission gave approval to the proposed merger. The investigation was opened in July 2023. The EU’s approval process hinged on Vivendi selling their publishing and magazine businesses, including book publisher Editis, which the EC also had to approve. The Commission alleges that, before they approved Vivendi’s divestment of Editis, Vivendi was already …