Simplified Procedure

EU Competition law term that refers to a faster, streamlined review procedure for mergers and concentrative joint ventures that do not raise significant competition concerns and are eligible to be notified using the Form CO Short Form. The simplified procedure was formalized in Commission’s Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004, 2005 OJ C 56/32. A review under the simplified procedure will normally be completed within 25 days. Assuming the turnover thresholds (See Merger Regulation, European) are met (if not the merger of joint venture is not subject to review, the simplified procedure will be applied to:

  1. Full Form Joint Ventures where the JV has negligible impact in the EEA, i.e., the turnover of the JV in the EEA is less than €100 and the total value of the assets in the EEA that the parent have transferred to the JV is less than €100 million;
  2. Mergers and joint ventures where none of the parties are participants in the same markets, or markets upstream or downstream;
  3. Mergers and joint ventures where, although the parties are present in the same market, their combined market share is less than 15 percent;
  4. Mergers and joint ventures where, although the parties are present in upstream and downstream markets their combined or individual market shares at any level of market is less than 25 percent.

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