General Electric's $17bn deal with Alstom under probe by EU

The European Union (EU) has opened a probe into General Electric’s planned acquisition of French group Alstom SA’s energy arm.

The $17bn (£11bn) deal, which was announced in June, is being investigated by the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust authority, as it might breach competition rules.

The European Commission said the acquisition could limit competition in the market for heavy-duty gas turbines, a kind of machinery normally mainly used in gas-fired power plants.

In January, commenting on the deal, Alstom chief executive Patrick Kron said he expected only “limited overlaps” where regulators might require the group sold operations for competitive reasons.