As part of our response to the European Commission’s consultation on possible reforms to its merger control guidelines,[1] we submitted our observations on Topic Paper G – Public Policy, Security, and Labour Market Considerations.
The French Court of Cassation Rejects Appeal Due to Procedural Non-Compliance
On May 28, 2025, the French Court of Cassation issued a ruling dismissing an appeal from Ambulances Sannac, a French company providing private ambulance services (“Sannac”) against a decision of the French Competition Authority (“FCA”) finding it had entered into anticompetitive agreements in the sector of inter-communal hospital medical transport. The appeal was dismissed entirely due to a procedural oversight[1].
Commission Gets Active Again In The Pharmaceutical Sector: First-Ever Cartel Decision In Relation To An Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
On October 19, 2023, the Commission imposed fines totalling €13.4 million on five pharmaceutical companies (Alkaloids of Australia, Alkaloids Corporation, Boehringer, Linnea, and Transo-Pharm) for their participation in a cartel in relation to an active pharmaceutical ingredient.[1] This is the Commission’s first-ever cartel decision in the pharmaceutical sector, adding to the Commission’s extensive enforcement action against pharmaceutical companies.