EU officially expresses concern over $20 billion deal between Adobe and Figma

Adobe has received an official antitrust complaint from EU regulators regarding the possible acquisition of Figma for $20 billion, reports The Verge.

The European Commission launched an investigation into the deal on August 7. Now, the institution has released a preliminary opinion expressing concern about the merger of the two players. According to European officials, the deal could harm competition.

The EC expressed these concerns in a statement of objection. It says that Figma already has a “significant limiting effect” on the Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop editing tools. Without the merger, it is “very likely” to become a competitive force in the market for vector and raster editors.

This statement does not affect the outcome of the EU investigation, which will last until February 5. Adobe and Figma can now respond to the objections and offer concessions that will answer the EC’s questions.

Companies may also request a hearing, after which the Commission will decide whether the agreement violates antitrust laws.

As a reminder, Adobe announced its intentions to acquire Figma in September of 2012. Initially, the parties discussed the deal at a price of $15 billion, but eventually the official price rose to $20 billion.