The European Commission issued a preliminary conclusion alleging that Merck KGaA’s acquisition of lab chemicals maker Sigma-Aldrich in 2015 breached European Union merger procedural rules. The Commission alleged Merck and Sigma-Aldrich provided incorrect or misleading information by failing to disclose information regarding an innovation project with relevance for certain laboratory chemicals. If the Commission concludes the companies intentionally or negligently supplied incorrect or misleading information, it could impose a fine of up to 1 percent of the companies’ annual revenue.