Brussels Competition Team in ‘Concurrences’ on ICN’s Recommended Practices for Merger Control

Brussels Competition Team members Dave Anderson and Paul Culliford authored an article published online and in print Sept. 3 by Concurrences, an independent antitrust specialist publisher. This article explores the key aspects of the International Competition Network’s (ICN) “Recommended Practices for Merger Notification and Review Procedures” (N&P RPs), one of the ICN’s first and most enduring work products. The article reviews the implementation of the N&P RPs to date, referencing three surveys that have been conducted since they were first adopted including the latest and most comprehensive survey that BCLP Brussels helped to inspire and lead to help continue the ICN’s push toward global convergence in merger control. The article concludes by recommending a number of concrete steps that could be taken within the ICN in order to continue to facilitate enhanced implementation of the N&P RPs worldwide, which has numerous benefits for the private and public sector alike. Anderson contributed to the first iteration of the N&P RPs in the early 2000s and to subsequent revisions and updates.

Later in September, Anderson will join officials from more than 140 antitrust agencies from around the world and their non-governmental advisers (NGA) at the first-ever virtual ICN Annual Conference, where they will discuss and debate the most pressing issues focusing on the digital economy affecting antitrust and competition law in 2020.  Anderson is an NGA for the European Commission and has been asked by the ICN’s Cartel Working Group (CWG) to lead a plenary panel discussion on “Big Data and Cartelization” featuring agency heads and senior officials from the French, Italian, US, Russian and Greek antitrust agencies.  Anderson is managing partner of BCLP’s Brussels office. His practice focuses on EU and international antitrust aspects of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, cartels, commercial agreements and abuses of dominant positions.