Rev. ed. of: Merger control in the EU. 3rd rev. ed. c1999

Includes bibliographical references

Survey of Merger Control in Europe -- European Union -- Definition of Concentration -- Operations which qualify as concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Control Thresholds -- Foreign-to-foreign mergers -- Criteria for calculation of turnover -- Special rules -- Exceptions to the one-stop shop principle -- Applicability of Articles 81 and 82 post-merger Regulation -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test for Clearance -- Dominance -- Other tests -- Remedies -- Ancillary restraints -- Austria -- Competent authorities -- Definition of Concentrations -- Operations which qualify as concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Control Thresholds -- Notification thresholds -- Foreign-to-foreign mergers -- Criteria for calculation of turnover -- Special rules -- Exemption from any notification requirement -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test for Clearance -- Dominance -- Other test: Balancing clause -- Remedies -- Other Issues -- Relations EU/national -- Definition of Concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Notification thresholds -- Notification and sanctions -- Time limits for notification -- Procedural time frame and suspension requirements -- Substantive Test for clearance and political intervention possibilities -- Competent authorities -- Belgium -- Main Provisions -- Competent authorities -- The Definition of a Concentration -- Operations which qualify as concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Operations which do not constitute concentrations -- Control Thresholds -- Foreign-to-foreign mergers -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test -- Dominance -- Remedies -- Ancillary restraints -- Cyprus -- Definition of a Concentration -- Control Thresholds -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Substantive Test for Clearance -- Czech Republic -- Definition of a Concentration -- Operations which qualify as concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Operations which do not constitute a concentration -- Notification Thresholds -- Turnover thresholds -- Foreign-to-foreign concentrations -- Criteria for the calculation of turnover -- Special rules -- Procedure -- Notification -- Procedure -- Sanctions for breach of merger clearance rules -- Test for Clearance -- Dominance -- Conditions -- Ancillary restraints -- Denmark -- Concept of Concentration -- Operations which qualify as concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Operations which do not constitute a concentration -- Control Thresholds -- Jurisdictional thresholds -- Criteria for the calculation of turnover -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Substantive Test -- Dominance -- Impediment of effective competition -- Remedies -- Ancillary restraints -- Finland -- Definition of a Concentration -- Operations which qualify as concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Control Thresholds -- Thresholds -- Foreign-to-foreign mergers -- Criteria for the calculation of turnover -- Special rules -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test -- Dominance -- Other test/exception -- Remedies -- Ancillary restraints -- France -- Definition of a Concentration -- Operations which qualify for a concentration -- Joint ventures -- Control Thresholds -- Foreign-to-foreign mergers -- Criteria for the calculation of turnover -- Special rules -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanction for violation of procedural rules -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test -- First step of the analysis: consequences of the concentration on the competitive market situation -- Second step of the Analysis: economic benefits/disadvantages analysis -- Remedies -- Ancillary restraints -- Germany -- Definition of Concentration -- General: merger control applies to "enterprises" only -- Merger by acquisition of assets -- Merger by acquisition of shares -- Merger by acquisition of control -- Merger by exercise of influence which is substantial as regards competition -- Exceptions -- Joint Ventures -- Notification Thresholds/Jurisdiction Issues -- Basic turnover thresholds for German merger control to apply -- Effect of mergers in Germany, in particular: foreign-to-foreign mergers -- De minimis thresholds for exceptions from German merger control -- Specific thresholds for newspaper/magazine publishing and broadcasting -- Method of calculating turnover -- Notification/Sanctions -- Mandatory pre-merger notification without official form -- Content of notification -- Exception from notification requirement: referral by European Commission -- Sanctions -- No Time-Limits for Notifications -- Procedure -- Time-frame and standstill obligation -- Imposition of conditions/undertakings by clearance decision -- Fees charged by the FCO -- Written statement of reasons: increased transparency -- Substantive Test: Dominance -- General rule: prohibition of dominant positions/possibility to override anti-competitive effects of merger -- Creation of market dominance or strengthening of an already existing position of market dominance -- Presumption of market dominance -- Balancing clause -- Competent Authorities -- Federal Cartel Office -- Approval by Federal Minister of Economics -- Judicial review -- Greece -- Development of the law -- First and second amendment of Act 703/1977 by 208 Acts 1934/1991, 2000/1991 -- Third amendment of Act 703/1977 by Act 2296/1995 -- The provisions of act 2837/2000 -- Definition of Concentration -- Operations which qualify for a concentration -- Joint ventures -- Operations which do not constitute a concentration -- Control Thresholds -- Procedure -- Notification/pre-notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test -- Hungary -- The Definition of Concentration -- Control Thresholds -- The HUF 500 million threshold -- The HUF 10 billion threshold -- Criteria for calculation of turnover -- Filing fees -- Procedure -- Mandatory obligation -- Investigation -- Sanctions for the violation of procedural rules -- Substantive Test -- Ireland -- Main legislative provisions -- Competent Authorities -- Other regulatory authorities -- Definition of a Concentration -- Operation which qualifies as a concentration -- Mergers -- The acquisition of control -- Asset acquisitions -- Joint ventures -- Operations which do not constitute a concentration -- Thresholds -- Thresholds -- Undertakings involved -- Calculation of turnover -- "Carrying on Business" -- Foreign-to-foreign transaction -- Exemptions/exceptions -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Appeals -- Procedure in relation to media mergers -- Procedure in relation to voluntary notification -- Substantive Appraisal -- Substantial lessening of competition -- Horizontal transactions -- Non-horizontal mergers -- Remedies -- Ancillary restrictions -- Other Issues -- Relationship between Irish and EU Merger Control Law -- Other Regulatory Approvals -- Central Bank Act, 1989--Acquiring Transactions -- 2BCD Regulations--Acquisition of Ownership Interests -- Investment business firms and fund management and administration -- 1994 Non-Life Insurance Regulations and 1994 Life Assurance Regulations -- Italy -- The Italian merger control system -- The Italian Antitrust Authority -- Relationship between the authority and the European Commission and other authorities -- Definition of Concentration -- Operations which qualify for concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Operations which do not constitute a concentration -- Control Thresholds -- Special rules -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Judicial review and redress -- Substantive Test for Clearance -- Dominance -- Clearance or prohibition due to national economic interest -- Remedies -- Ancillary restraints -- The Netherlands -- Definition of a Concentration -- Operation which qualify for concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Exceptions -- Control Thresholds -- Thresholds -- Criteria for the calculation of turnover -- Special rules -- Exemption/exceptions -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Judicial protection and request to the Minister -- Substantive Test -- Dominance -- Remedies -- Ancillary restraints -- Poland -- Concept of a Concentration -- Operations which qualify for concentrations -- Joint ventures -- Notification Thresholds -- Turnover thresholds -- Market share threshold -- Foreign-to-foreign concentrations -- Exemptions from the notification obligation -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Confidentiality and third party rights -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test -- Dominance -- Remedies -- Portugal -- Definition of a Concentration -- Operations that qualify as a concentration -- Operations which do not qualify as a concentration -- Control Thresholds -- The Act foresees two alternative thresholds that may trigger the obligation to notify -- Territorial scope of the Act (Foreign to foreign mergers) -- Exceptions -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Sanctions for violation of procedural rules -- Completion before clearance -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test -- The Dominance test -- Practical application -- Spain -- Definition of "Concentration" -- Overview/operations which qualify for concentrations -- Joint ventures --

Control Thresholds -- Jurisdictional thresholds -- Foreign to foreign mergers -- Market share threshold -- Criteria for the calculation of turnover -- Special rules -- Control of concentrations and restrictive practices -- Procedure -- Notification -- Investigation -- Relationship between the Spanish Authorities and the European Commission -- Publicity and confidentiality -- Judicial review -- Substantive Test for Clearance -- Maintenance of effective competition -- Remedies -- Special Provisions -- Notification by the bidder -- Referral of non-notified transactions to the Service for the Defence of Competition by the National Stock Exchange Commission -- Publicity -- Sweden -- Definition of Concentration -- Operations which qualify for concentrations -- Notification Thresholds -- Two thresholds -- Foreign to foreign concentrations -- Criteria for calculation of turnover -- The procedural rules -- Notification -- Investigation -- Enforcement agencies and adjudicative bodies -- Confidentiality, trade secrets and disclosure -- Substantive Test -- The dominance test -- Other test: the national interest test -- Decisions and case-law regarding the test for clearance -- Remedies -- Ancillary restrictions -- Special rules -- United Kingdom -- General principles of UK merger control -- Competent authorities -- Definition of a Concentration -- Qualifying Merger -- "Enterprise" -- "Ceasing to be Distinct" -- Control Thresholds -- The "assets" test -- The "share of supply" test -- Competition Act 1998 -- Procedure -- No mandatory notification -- Reference to the CC -- Confidentiality in cases referred to the CC -- Judicial review -- Substantive Tests -- Public interest test/substantial lessening of competition -- Assessment criteria -- Remedies.