Apresentação
Este é um informativo diário que traz para o(a) leitor (a) notícias e casos de defesa da concorrência das principais jurisdições antitruste do mundo (CADE, FTC, Comissão Europeia, CMA etc).
Notícias
Commission clears JD Sports acquisition of Courir subject to conditions
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The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Groupe Courir SAS (‘Courir’) by JD Sports Fashion Plc Group (‘JD Sports’). The approval is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments offered by the parties.
The Commission’s investigation
The Commission’s investigation showed that the transaction, as initially notified, would have reduced competition in the retail markets for: (i) leisure and performance sports footwear and apparel in Portugal; and (ii) leisure sports footwear in certain local markets in France. The Commission found that the online and offline sales constrain one another and form part of the same relevant market. Competitive pressure from online sales was reflected in the Commission’s assessment of the transaction’s effects at local level.
The Commission found that the transaction would have resulted in high combined market shares as well as high concentration levels in several local markets. The Commission also found that, after the merger, there would not be enough alternative competitors to exert sufficient competitive pressure on the merged entity. This would have led to higher prices and less choice for consumers in the affected markets.
The proposed remedies
To address the Commission’s competition concerns, the parties offered to divest all Courir stores in Portugal and several stores in certain areas of France to Snipes, a direct competitor focusing on the retail supply of leisure sports goods. These commitments fully address the competition concerns identified by the Commission, by ensuring that there will be sufficient competition and choice in the affected markets.
In today’s decision, the Commission has approved Snipes as a suitable purchaser of the divested businesses after finding that it fulfils all the relevant criteria. In a separate procedure, the Commission will approve the terms of sale and assess whether these are in line with the proposed commitments. Pursuant to the latter, JD Sports can only implement the acquisition of Courir following the Commission’s approval.
Following the positive feedback received during the market test, the Commission concluded that the transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns.
The clearance decision is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments. Under the supervision of the Commission, an independent trustee will monitor their implementation.
Companies and products
JD Sports, headquartered in the UK, is a sports goods retailer, focused on sports apparel and footwear. It operates worldwide under various retail banners (both online and via over 3,300 physical stores) and has a limited wholesale business. It is ultimately owned by Pentland Group Holdings Limited.
Courir, headquartered in France, is active in the retail supply of sportswear, including footwear, apparel, and accessories. In Europe, Courir operates over 300 stores, located in Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. It also sells online in all EU countries except for Malta. It is ultimately owned by Equistone.
For More Information
The transaction was first notified to the Commission on 21 June 2024, but the parties withdrew their notification on 7 August 2024. The parties renotified the transaction to the Commission on 3 September 2024.
The Commission has the duty to assess mergers and acquisitions involving companies with a turnover above certain thresholds (see Article 1 of the EU Merger Regulation) and to prevent concentrations that would significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.
The vast majority of notified mergers do not pose competition problems and are cleared after a routine review. From the moment a transaction is notified, the Commission generally has a total of 25 working days to decide whether to grant approval (Phase I) or to start an in-depth investigation (Phase II). If commitments are proposed in Phase I, the Commission has 10 additional working days, bringing the total duration of a Phase I case to 35 working days, such as in this case.
More information will be available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.11159.
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Benoît Cœuré est nommé président du Comité de la concurrence de l’OCDE
Publié le 23 octobre 2024
Benoît Cœuré, président de l’Autorité de la concurrence, a été nommé le 21 octobre 2024 à la présidence du Comité de la concurrence de l’OCDE par les membres dudit Comité. Il exercera ses fonctions à partir du 1er janvier 2025, pour un mandat d’un an renouvelable. Il succède à Frédéric Jenny, dont l’Autorité de la concurrence salue l’engagement constant au service de la politique de concurrence et son rôle déterminant dans le développement du Comité durant ces trente dernières années.
Dans le même temps, Natalie Harsdorf, directrice générale de l’autorité autrichienne, succédera à Alberto Heimler comme présidente du groupe de travail du Comité sur la concurrence et la régulation, tandis que Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General du département de la justice américain, est renouvelé dans son rôle de président du groupe de travail du Comité sur la coopération et l’application de la loi.
Durant son mandat, Benoît Cœuré s’emploiera à mettre en œuvre le programme de travail du Comité, notamment sur les enjeux liés à la numérisation de l’économie, la transition écologique et l’articulation entre la politique de concurrence et la politique industrielle.
Dans un contexte d’évolution technologique rapide, de défis géopolitiques majeurs et de montée en puissance des enjeux de souveraineté et de résilience, Benoît Cœuré s’attachera à promouvoir les principes de la concurrence tout en favorisant la collaboration avec les autres organes de l’OCDE et les forums internationaux compétents.
Les missions du Comité de la concurrence de l’OCDE
Créé en 1961, le Comité de la concurrence de l’OCDE réunit les experts de concurrence de l’ensemble des pays membres et des pays partenaires de l’OCDE et a pour objectif principal la protection et la promotion de la concurrence en tant que principe organisateur des économies modernes. Le Comité vise notamment à améliorer l’efficacité de la mise en œuvre du droit de la concurrence, à promouvoir des réformes économiques pro-concurrentielles, à renforcer les synergies entre la politique de concurrence et les autres domaines d’intervention dans les travaux de l’OCDE, et à favoriser le dialogue et la coopération entre les autorités de concurrence des pays membres.
Atos de concentração – Decisões
CADE
Ato de Concentração nº 08700.007231/2024-44
Requerentes: DB3 Serviços de Telecomunicações S.A. e Atex Net Telecomunicações Ltda. Aprovação sem restrições.
Ato de Concentração nº 08700.007607/2024-11
Requerentes: CCISA180 Incorporadora Ltda. e 253 Participações Ltda. Aprovação sem restrições.
Ato de Concentração nº 08700.007663/2024-55
Requerentes: Cosan Lubrificantes e Especialidades S.A., DIPI Holding Ltda., Pax Lubrificantes Ltda., Elvin Lubrificantes Indústria e Comércio Ltda. e Lubripack Indústria e Comércio Ltda. Aprovação sem restrições.
Ato de Concentração nº 08700.004372/2024-13
Requerentes: La Villa Ltda. (“La Villa”), integrante da SMR Participações e Investimentos S.A. (“SMR” ou “Plurix”), e Companhia Sulamericana de Distribuição (“CSD”). Aprovação sem restrições do presente ato de concentração.
Ato de Concentração nº 08700.005529/2024-10
Requentes: Novo Holdings A/S, Novo Nordisk A/S e Catalent Inc.. Onde se lê: “Ato de concentração nº 08700.004450/2024-71.”, leia-se: “Ato de concentração nº 08700.005529/2024-10.”
Comissão Europeia
Vifor (IV iron products)
Antitrust
Last decision date: 22.07.2024
CMA
Carlsberg / Britvic merger inquiry
- The CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by Carlsberg UK Holdings Limited of Britvic PLC.
- Updated: 23 October 2024
Iberdrola / NWEN merger inquiry
- The CMA is investigating the completed acquisition by Iberdrola, S.A., through its subsidiary Scottish Power Energy Networks Holdings Limited, of North West Electricity Networks (Jersey) Limited.
- Updated: 22 October 2024
Muller Dairy (UK) Limited / Yew Tree Dairy Holdings Limited merger inquiry
- The CMA investigated the anticipated acquisition by Muller Dairy (UK) Limited of Yew Tree Dairy Holdings Limited.
- Updated: 22 October 2024