Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Merger control definition

What does Merger control mean? Merger control is the review of mergers, acquisitions and certain joint ventures by competition authorities to prevent anti-competitive effects and to clear, condition or prohibit deals. In the UK, it is governed by the enterprise Act 2002 (as amended). The competition and markets authority (CMA) may review completed or anticipated deals where a 'relevant merger situation' arises: enterprises cease to be distinct and either the target’s UK turnover exceeds £70m or the parties meet/increase a 25% share of supply in the UK (or a substantial part). Notification is voluntary, but the CMA can call in transactions and impose...

Swiss Merger Control: SIEC Alignment (2025), Thresholds including Dominance Trigger, Joint Ventures, Procedure, Standstill, Fees, Penalties and FDI Screening Proposals

Published by a LexisNexis Competition expert

Practice notes

Note—for guidance on whether notification thresholds in Switzerland and globally are triggered, see: Where to Notify.

1. Have there been any recent developments regarding the Swiss Merger control regime and are any updates/developments expected in the coming year? Are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues in Switzerland?

On 24 November 2021, the Swiss Federal Council released a preliminary draft proposing a partial overhaul of the Cartel Act (ACart). These amendments aim to enhance the ACart’s effectiveness. Central to the package is the modernisation of Switzerland’s merger control framework. The update focuses on bringing Swiss practice in line with EU and global standards. Replacing the current dominance-plus test with the Significant Impediment to Effective Competition (SIEC) standard would align Swiss review practice with the EU and international approaches, reducing the threshold for authority to step in. Proposals on merger control envisage simplifying notification for cross-border mergers where markets span Switzerland and at least the EEA, and enabling deadline extensions in merger control proceedings. The package also foresees the option to prolong statutory time limits in merger reviews. Following the consultation, which concluded on 11 March 2022, the Federal Council instructed the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER)...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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