224In its reasoning, the Commission noted that the barriers to competition and thus the harm to consumers would result from the disappearance of the competitive relationship between Ryanair and Aer Lingus and from the fact that no remaining competitor or potential entrant would be in a position to compete effectively with the merged entity. Aside from the effects on prices, since the entity resulting from the concentration would no longer be subject to the same pressure which previously existed between Ryanair and Air Lingus, the concentration would also have repercussions on the quality of the offer and choice made available to customers.
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