5 Key Takeaways
- More Deals Take Longer
More deals than ever before involved extended CCPC reviews. Of 42 deals notified, 10 involved merger review delays of at least 3 months. Two “Phase 2” reviews, both on going as of 15/01/2021, have each taken 11 months already. According to the CCPC, this trend reflects “the complex nature” of deals notified, not COVID-19. But every 2020 deal has cleared unconditionally so far.
- COVID-19 Challenges Met
The CCPC adapted successfully to COVID-19 challenges, even while there was little slowdown in the pace of filings, with a total year-on-year drop from 47 to 42. E-filings, online state-of-play meetings and remote oral hearings are now part of CCPC procedures. The CCPC engaged constructively in agreeing to pause reviews for additional information and even managed to conduct a (COVID-19-compliant) site visit. To its credit, the CCPC also successfully deployed a new “simplified” filing system for no- or limited-overlap deals.
Read the full article here: https://competitionlawblog.kluwercompetitionlaw.com/2021/01/19/irish-merger-control-2020-your-3-minute-update/