Directorate-General for Competition

EFTA Surveillance Authority - Competition
"The EFTA Surveillance Authority monitors compliance with European Economic Area rules in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, enabling them to participate in the European internal market"

Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 of 20 January 2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (the EC Merger Regulation)
Official Journal L 24, 29.01.2004, p. 1-22

European Commission Mergers Page

EU Competition Law Rules Applicable to Merger Control (Situation as at 1 April 2010) (356 pages)

Notices and guidelines (including horizontal and non-horizontal merger guideance)

Merger cases

European Competition Network

ECN Cooperation in Merger Control - THe EU Merger Working Group (est 2010)
The objective of the group is to 'foster increased consistency, convergence and cooperation among EU merger jurisdictions. The group's mandate is to identify areas of possible improvements regarding issues arising in relation to mergers with cross-border impact, and to explore possible solutions, focusing on what is feasible within the existing legal frameworks, and drawing from agency practices and experience.'

Best Practices on cooperation between EU National Competition Authorities in Merger Review
November 2011

Best Practices on Cooperation in Merger Investigations between US-EU (October 2011)

Commission Notice on Case Referral in respect of concentrations
Official Journal C 056, 05/03/2005, p 0002-0023

The Exchange of Information Between Members on Multijurisdictional Mergers - Procedures Guide
June 2002

Model waiver of confidentiality in merger investigations

See generally EC publications page

White Paper: Towards more effective EU merger control (July 2014)

Towards more effective EU merger control (consultation) (2013)

• Response from Competition Law Forum (British Institute of International and Comparative Law)

Note: In 2013 the EC instigated a public consultation on EU merger control (Draft revision of simplified procedure and merger implementing regulation). The proposal "aims to make EU merger control even more business-friendly by cutting red tape and streamlining procedures". Details of the consultation and related documents are available from the EC's public consultations page. On 5 December 2013 the Commission adopted the following documents:

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1269/2013 (Official Journal OJ L 336, 14.12.2013, p. 1-36) amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 802/2004 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings
• Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for the treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.

See the EC press release and frequently asked questions.

See Europe Reading Room

Reports

EU Publications on merger control

Report on the functioning of Regulation No 139/2004 (2009)