EU Merger meaning

Non-controlling minority shareholdings This Checklist identifies the jurisdictions worldwide where acquisitions of non‑controlling minority shareholdings must be notified, provided the other jurisdictional thresholds are satisfied. In this context, ‘non‑controlling minority shareholdings’ means any degree of influence falling short of what the EU Merger Regulation terms ‘decisive influence’—namely, the capacity to exercise a significant level of control over an undertaking’s strategic commercial behaviour. That influence can be exercised through a variety of routes, including share ownership, voting rights (in particular, veto rights), or contractual arrangements, and does not necessarily involve holding a majority shareholding...

More than 150 jurisdictions operate merger control, or regimes akin to it. Within these systems, competition regulators may prohibit a deal entirely, or approve it subject to remedies, whether agreed or imposed. This Checklist sets out practical points to bear in mind when managing filing obligations across multiple jurisdictions. For overviews of merger control rules in every jurisdiction, see MJ merger grid—jurisdiction and MJ merger grid—procedure. For distilled takeaways, consult Key learning points from MJ reviews—anomalies, absurdities and potential pitfalls. It also flags issues commonly seen in practice. Guidance is provided in those resources. What transactions fall within merger control rules? Relevant transactions Across most regimes, including the EU, merger control captures any deal that places formerly independent undertakings under common control. Control is often defined broadly. Acquisitions of control—sole v joint control Control can rest with a single party, or be shared with one or more others: sole control: a shareholder that acquires control can take strategic decisions for the target without...

This checklist outlines the competition law factors that matter for corporate transactions... Preliminary considerations Before approaching the other party, it is vital to: Assemble a deal team and set up clear lines of communication across all relevant parts of the business. You may need specialist advisers, depending on PR needs, anticipated complexity or regulatory matters, for example: lobbying/PR specialists economists accountants Be careful with document creation (internal and external) and with public and internal statements Manage expectations, including any potential competition issues and early timing considerations Confirm that the proposed transaction has a legitimate objective Consider preserving legal privilege for relevant communications (see further, Legal privilege in EU competition cases) Issues before and during negotiation From the point a deal is contemplated and throughout negotiations, be mindful of risks, particularly avoiding any possibility of collusion and not creating ‘hostages to fortune’ that competition authorities could...

Refer to the flowchart below for a decision pathway clarifying when establishing a joint venture falls under the EU Merger Regulation, outlining scope and applicability...

Flowchart This Flowchart explains the cancellation rights that must be offered to consumers who enter into on‑premises, off‑premises or distance contracts for the sale of digital content. It is intended for use when a practitioner needs to confirm the cancellation rights available to consumers purchasing digital content in line with the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, SI 2013/3134 (CCR 2013). Note 1 — a consumer is an individual acting wholly or mainly for purposes outside their trade, business, craft or profession. Note 2 — certain sector contracts are governed by their own rules, including financial services contracts, rental contracts and package travel contracts, and are completely excluded from the CCR 2013. For more information, see Practice Note: Distance, doorstep and on‑premises sales — Excluded contracts...

Mergers The Commission cleared: Hartree Partners Holdings, LP’s acquisition of exclusive control of Touton S.A. (M.12189), following a phase I investigation—see further in Midday Express the establishment of a joint venture by EVH Grüne Energie – Beteiligung GmbH & Co. KG and HSBC Alternative Investments S.C.A. SICAV-RAIF (M.12240), following a phase I investigation—see further in Midday Express the setting up of a joint venture by RCL Cruises Ltd....

Competition policy Commission publishes report on enforcement of EU antitrust and merger control rules in the pharmaceutical sector between 2018–2022 The Commission has issued a report on competition enforcement—covering antitrust and merger control—in the pharmaceutical sector, outlining the activities undertaken by the Commission and national competition authorities during 2018 to 2022. It updates an earlier 2019 report that examined the period from 2009 to 2017. Alongside a broad overview of enforcement in pharmaceuticals, the report describes the sector’s key features that guide competition assessments and, through concrete and practical examples, clearly demonstrates how competition law action protected undertakings and consumers, including in the course of the Covid-19 crisis...

Mergers The Commission approved: the securing of joint control over Kee Safety Group by Inflexion Private Equity Partners LLP and 65 Equity Partners Pte. Ltd (M.11983) following a phase I investigation—for further details, see Midday Express the attainment of joint control of Grand Bahamas Shipyard Ltd...

CASE HUB See more, timeline, commentary and connected cases. Case facts European Commission merger inquiry under Article 14(1) EUMR into inaccurate or misleading information supplied by KKR during the Commission’s 2024 review of KKR’s acquisition of NetCo. Latest developments On 24 July 2025, the Commission opened its investigation. Parties KKR & Co. Inc (KKR): Headquartered in the US, KKR is a global investment firm providing alternative asset management alongside capital markets and insurance services. NetCo: Based in Italy, NetCo is a newly established company that comprises FiberCop—presently jointly controlled by KKR and TIM—as well as TIM’s primary and backbone fixed-line network...

NOTE—to check whether notification thresholds in Vietnam and worldwide are triggered, please consult: Where to Notify. 1. Have there been any recent developments regarding the Vietnamese merger control regime and are any updates/developments expected in the coming year? Are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues in Vietnam? In 2020, Vietnam promulgated Decree 35 on Detailed Regulations for Implementation of the Law on Competition dated 24 March 2020 (Decree 35), which became effective on 15 May 2020. This marked a pivotal step in putting into operation the competition framework envisaged under the Law on Competition dated 12 June 2018 (Competition Law). The body designated under the Competition Law, the Vietnam Competition Committee (VCC), was established on 1 April 2023 and from that date assumed responsibility for the merger control regime. Decree 35 introduced the following clarifications to merger control: Notification thresholds, under which a transaction must be notified where: the total assets or turnover in Vietnam of...

NOTE—to see whether notification thresholds in the Netherlands and across the globe are met, see further: Where to Notify 1. Have there been any recent developments regarding the Dutch merger control regime and are any updates/developments expected in the coming year? Are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues with the ACM? Media Following the Authority for Consumers and Market’s (ACM) prohibition of RTL’s proposed purchase of Talpa (two players in the Dutch television media market) on 30 January 2023, DPG Media announced plans to acquire RTL and filed the deal with the ACM. On 17 May 2024, the ACM concluded that the transaction merited deeper scrutiny and therefore referred the matter to the second (‘licence’) phase. On 18 July 2024, the parties submitted their application for the requisite licence. On 27 June 2025, the ACM issued conditional clearance for the merger in its DPG/RTL decision, imposing stringent behavioural commitments. Notably, the ACM factored media plurality into its competition analysis—an innovative development in Dutch merger control practice...

Overview The EU Merger Regulation (EUMR) (Regulation (EC) No 139/2004) applies to concentrations with an EU dimension. If [ name of project/transaction ] falls within EUMR, it must be notified to the European Commission (the Commission) prior to completion. The transaction cannot be finalised until clearance has been granted. Accordingly, an assessment should be undertaken as soon as possible at the earliest opportunity to confirm whether [ project name/transaction ] possesses an ‘EU dimension’ for these purposes...

Overview Joint ventures cover a wide spectrum of commercial arrangements, from merger-style integrations to co-operation confined to particular functions such as production, distribution, or research and development (R&D). This questionnaire seeks sufficient detail about the joint venture’s activities to enable an initial assessment of whether it is a full-function joint venture for the purposes of the EU Merger Regulation (Council Regulation No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings). If it is a full-function venture with an EU dimension (meaning the turnover thresholds are satisfied), the joint venture must be notified to the European Commission (the Commission) and cannot proceed until the Commission has found it compatible with the internal market. If the joint venture is not full-function and operates as a partnership that is, to a large extent, dependent on its parent companies, the establishment of the joint venture does not require notification; however, the Commission may exercise control after the fact, in light of Article 10(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union...