As of 17 March 2025, the new Regulation on Mergers has entered into force, bringing increased clarity and flexibility to the notification process.

In addition to adjustments related to the notification thresholds, the notification fee, and the total value threshold for asset transfers to a group of undertakings, the Regulation aims to transpose the latest developments concerning the simplified treatment of certain categories of mergers. Accordingly, the Competition Council seeks to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of its control over mergers and to streamline both the procedure and the review period for submitted notification forms.

To simplify the completion of the notification forms, both the Full Form and the Short Form for the notification of an merger have been revised in line with Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2023/914 as of 20 April 2023. These forms are annexed to the Regulation.

Additionally, the Regulation provides for an extension of the deadline for submitting commitments, enabling undertakings to propose commitments aimed at rendering the notified merger compatible with a normal competitive environment. In line with EU rules, the deadline for submitting commitments in Phase I has been extended to 20 working days, and in Phase II, the deadline has been extended to 65 working days from the date of initiation of the investigation.

The Regulation also introduces a flexibility clause, allowing the notifying parties to request a switch from the full procedure to the simplified procedure.

Another important provision of the Regulation concerns the possibility for undertakings intending to notify a merger to engage in pre-notification consultations with the competition authority. This aims to reduce uncertainty and the volume of documentation required.

The new Regulation partially transposes EU rules on the mergers control, offering benefits to the business environment by simplifying the filing and assessment procedure for certain mergers that do not raise competition concerns.

The full text of the Regulation is available [here].

Note: In the near future, the Competition Council will publish additional explanatory materials regarding specific provisions of the new Regulation, to facilitate its correct and uniform interpretation.