Home Page / Legislation / Competition and Consumer Act 2010 / s 95AC

Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)

Section 95AC
Commission may grant clearance for a merger

 

The provision

(1) The Commission may grant a clearance to a person:

(a) to acquire shares in the capital of a body corporate; or

(b) to acquire assets of another person.

Note: Section 95AN prohibits the Commission from granting a clearance for an acquisition unless the Commission is satisfied that the acquisition would not have the effect, or be likely to have the effect, of substantially lessening competition.

(2) If the Commission does so, then section 50 does not prevent the person from acquiring the shares or assets in accordance with the clearance.

Note: The acquisition will only be protected from the operation of section 50 if it takes place in accordance with the clearance. If it does not, then section 50 will apply to the acquisition. If the acquisition contravenes section 50, then the remedies in Part VI will apply (see, for example, penalties under section 76 and divestiture under section 81).

(3) Without limiting subsection (2), an acquisition will not be in accordance with a clearance if any conditions of the clearance are not complied with (whether the conditions are to be complied with before, during or after the acquisition).

 

Legislative history

 

Commentary

Division 3 of Part VII of the Act was introduced in 2006 following recommendations by the Dawson Committee. Subdivision B allows parties to apply for 'formal clearance' of their mergers. There is no mandatory pre-merger notification regime operating in Australia and the ACCC may still provide informal advice to parties regarding the legality of their proposed merger.

See mergers page.