13/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - Launch of detailed investigation into purchase of French rail stock manufacturing company Faiveley by Wabtec of the United States. On Thursday 12 May, the European Commission opened a detailed investigation to decide whether the planned acquisition of French rail equipment manufacturer Faiveley Transport by US company Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (Wabtec) comply with the EU merger regulation. It expressed some preliminary concerns in a press release about a series of complete braking and brake component systems markets, such as friction material, and pantographs. The markets are subject to large-scale barriers to entry due to the high technical and regulatory demands and serious investment in research needed to enter and rapidly expand on the market. (MB)