Thyssenkrupp on Thursday said it is filing a complaint with the European Court of Justice to challenge an antitrust ruling that blocks a planned joint venture with Tata Steel.
The complaint was filed with the European Union General Court after the European Commission vetoed plans to create the second largest steel producer in Europe in June, fearing that it would reduce competition in the EU steel market.
The Commission was most concerned about the merger of companies in the automotive and packaging steel fields.
"In its competitive assessment of the product groups of packaging steel and hot-dip galvanized steel for the automotive industry, the Commission has for the first time established a restrictive market definition that unreasonably expands the scope of the existing competition law," the German concern said in a statement.
It was already clear in early May that Brussels would block the deal, leading to a strategic reversal of the group, which includes a planned stock market listing or sale of its elevator business.
Thyssenkrupp's steel division Steel Europe is expected to remain part of the group in the long term, Thyssenkrupp said, although it does not rule out a new partnership or the sale of a minority stake.
