There is a global trend of increasingly burdensome demands by competition authorities conducting merger review for the submission of merging parties’ internal documents, and the CMA is no exception. In recent months the CMA has also taken greater steps to enforce such requests, in particular by fining companies for failing to comply with formal requests for documents under Section 109 of the Enterprise Act 2002 (“Section 109 Notices”).
The ICA Finds Bid-Rigging Practices in Integrated Health and Safety Management in Italy
On September 18, 2019, the Italian Competition Authority (the “ICA”) issued a decision[1] finding that Com Metodi S.p.A. (“Com Metodi”), Sintesi S.p.A. (“Sintesi”), Igeam S.r.l., Igeamed S.r.l. and Igeam Academy S.r.l. (jointly, “Igeam”) participated in a cartel affecting the outcome of the open tender procedure for the provision of integrated health and safety management services in the workplace at Italian public administrations, launched by Consip S.p.A. (“Consip”), the central purchasing agency owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in December 2015 (the “SIC 4 Tender” and the “Decision”, respectively).
French Competition Authority Launches Consultation on Revised Merger Guidelines
On September 16, 2019, the French competition authority (“FCA”) launched a two-month public consultation on revised merger guidelines (“the draft guidelines”), which constitutes the final step of the modernization and simplification of merger control the FCA had initiated in the fall of 2017. This overhaul of the FCA’s merger control guidelines aims to extend the scope of the simplified procedure, update the 2013 guidelines with recent case law and the FCA’s exchanges with the European Commission and other national competition authorities, while reorganizing the guidelines and enriching them with examples. The public consultation was open until November 16, 2019. The new guidelines are scheduled to be adopted before the end of the year.
Vigorous Antitrust Enforcement Likely To Continue During Margrethe Vestager’s Second Term as Competition Commissioner
Margrethe Vestager has been re-appointed as Commissioner for Competition for a second term. If her appointment is approved by the European Parliament, as is expected, she would be in line for a combined 10-year term, which would make her the longest-serving Competition Commissioner. In addition to the competition portfolio, Ms. Vestager will also take on responsibility for the “a Europe fit for the digital age” agenda, and has been designated as one of the executive vice-presidents of the Commission.
Roadmap For The Evaluation Of The Horizontal Block Exemption Regulations Open For Comments
The 2014 Ica Decision That Fined Novartis and Roche for an Anticompetitive Agreement Aimed at Creating an Artificial Differentiation Between Two Allegedly Equivalent Medicinal Products for the Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration, Is Upheld by a Final Ruling of the Council of State
On July 15, 2019, the Council of State rejected an appeal filed by F. Hoffmann-La Roche LTD and Roche S.p.A. (“Roche”), as well as Novartis Farma S.p.A. and Novartis AG (“Novartis”; jointly, the “Parties”) against a judgment issued in 2014 by the Regional Administrative Tribunal for Latium (the “TAR Lazio”).[1] As a consequence, the 2014 decision by which the ICA fined the Parties approximately €180 million overall for a violation of Article 101 TFEU (the “Decision”)[2] became final. According to the Decision, the Parties colluded with a view to creating an artificial differentiation between two medicinal products that were equivalent for the treatment of eye diseases, in order to increase sales of the more expensive one.
Commission Publishes 2018 Annual Activity Report
On July 15, 2019, the Commission published its annual report on competition policy, setting out the Commission’s main policy and legislative initiatives, and key decisions adopted in 2018.
The Paris Court of Appeals Rules That Undertakings May Challenge the Proportionality of Fines Imposed in Settlement Proceedings
On June 13, 2019, the Paris Court of Appeals ruled that an undertaking can challenge the proportionality of a fine set by the FCA within the range agreed with the Rapporteur Général during a settlement procedure.[1]
The Paris Court of Appeals Upholds the FCA’s Decision Against Janssen- Cilag’s Defamatory Practices
On July 11, 2019, the Paris Court of Appeals dismissed most of the pharmaceutical company Janssen-Cilag’s claims in its appeal against the FCA decision fining it for delaying market entry of a generic drug[1], thereby essentially upholding the FCA’s third decision fining a pharmaceutical company for denigrating generic drugs after Sanofi-Aventis[2] and Schering-Plough.[3]
GSK’s Acquisition of Pfizer’s Consumer Health Business Cleared Subject to Remedies
On July 10, 2019, the Commission conditionally cleared GlaxoSmithKline’s (“GSK”) acquisition of Pfizer’s Consumer Health Business following a Phase I review.[1] The transaction forms part of GSK’s and Pfizer’s plan to contribute their respective consumer healthcare businesses to a new venture, over which GSK will have sole control.