See the Autorité's new merger control guidelines in English
Since autumn 2017, the Autorité has been deeply involved in the modernisation and simplification of merger control.
On 20 April 2019, a decree simplifying the procedure for notifying a merger to the Autorité de la concurrence already allowed for a substantial simplification of the formalities to be completed by companies by lightening the notification form and reducing the formal procedures (see press release of 25 April 2019). In October 2019, the Autorité also gave companies the option of notifying certain take-over or merger transactions on-line via a dedicated platform (see press release of 18 October 2019).
Guidelines
The purpose of the merger control guidelines is to provide companies with an educational presentation on the scope of the national merger control rules, the conduct of the procedure before the Autorité and the objectives, criteria and methods for analysis on the merits. In order to ensure maximum legal certainty for companies, the Autorité undertakes to apply the guidelines whenever it examines a merger, provided that there are no circumstances specific to the merger or any considerations in the general interest that would justify derogation from them.