A chainsaw manufacturer cannot force its distributors to hand-deliver its products when the sale was made online, according to the FCA decision 18-D-23 of October 24, 2018. However, the first President of the Paris Court of Appeal ordered a stay of execution regarding the FCA injunctions which required it to modify the manufacturer’s distribution agreements.
Commission Conditionally Approves Basf/Solvay Creating a “Significant European Player” in the Nylon Compound Market
On March 6, 2020, the Commission approved Telecom Italia and Vodafone’s acquisition of joint control over INWIT, which will combine the companies’ 22,000 telecommunication towers in Italy.[1] The approval was obtained during Phase I and is conditioned on third-party access to the infrastructure.
Vivendi/Editis
On January 2, 2019, the FCA authorized the acquisition by the Vivendi Group of the Editis Group, which owns 13 literary publishing houses operating the brands Fleuve, Julliard, Le Cherche Midi, Plon, Robert Laffont, Bordas and Nathan, among others.[1]
Cash Paris Tax Refund/Global Blue/Planet Payment
On December 28, 2018, the FCA authorized, subject to commitments, the creation of the Cash Paris Tax Refund joint-venture by Global Blue and Planet Payment.[1]
The French Competition Authority Issues a Notice Concerning Settlement Proceedings
Three years after the introduction of a settlement procedure in its legal arsenal, the FCA has issued guidelines on the conduct of settlement proceedings (the “Settlement Notice”). The Settlement Notice aims at clarifying the framework under which companies may be granted fine reductions in the context of antitrust investigations. However, several questions are still pending, including the determination of the final amount of the fine by the FCA’s Collège and the impact of settlement proceedings on follow-on damages claims.