French Competition Authority

Advertising on iOS mobile applications: the General Rapporteur confirms having notified the Apple group of an objection* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence has confirmed that an objection has been notified to the Apple group, concerning practices in the distribution of (...)

Motorway catering: the Autorité imposes conditions on the acquisition of the Sirestco Group by the Areas Group* Background On 15 May 2023, the Areas Group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of a proposed merger leading to the acquisition of sole control of Sirestco. The Autorité has (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence unconditionally clears the acquisition of Make Distribution by the IBL Group* Background On 25 April 2023, the IBL Group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its intention to take exclusive control of Make Distribution. After careful examination, the (...)

Cloud computing: the Autorité de la concurrence issues its market study on competition in the cloud sector* Background On 27 January 2022, the Autorité de la concurrence announced that it had started proceedings ex-officio to issue a market study on competition conditions in the cloud (...)

Production of clay tiles and bricks: the Autorité unconditionally clears the acquisition of sole control of Terreal by the Wienerberger Group* Background On 11 May 2023, the Wienerberger Group, which specialises in the production of clay materials (tiles, bricks, long elements), notified (...)

Repair and refurbishment of electronic products: the Autorité clears the acquisition of control of the SBE Group by the Cordon Electronics Group* Background In examining the transaction relating to the acquisition of sole control of the SBE Group by the Cordon Electronics Group, the (...)

Three companies fined for anticompetitive agreements in public tenders for heritage building renovation in the Hauts-de-France region* Background Following inspections and an investigation report sent by the French Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence issues its opinion on the competitive situation in the property brokerage market* Background The Autorité de la concurrence (hereinafter the "Autorité") received a request for an opinion from the French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of General Electric’s GE Steam Power division by EDF* Background On 14 April 2023, EDF notified to the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to take control of the activities of General Electric group’s GE Steam Power (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the joint control of Cityscoot by RATP and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations* Background On 26 July 2022, RATP Capital Innovation, a subsidiary of RATP group, and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations notified the Autorité de la concurrence of their plan (...)

The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections were carried out in the passenger rail transport, travel agency services and products distribution, and digital mobility systems sectors* Following authorisation from a liberty and custody judge, (...)

Cloud computing: The Autorité de la concurrence issues an opinion on certain provisions of the draft law to secure and regulate the digital space* Background Referred to by the French Deputy Minister in charge of the digital transition and telecommunications, the Autorité has issued an (...)

Online ad verification: The Autorité de la concurrence issues interim measures against Meta* Background Having received a complaint in October 2022 from the company Adloox SAS (hereinafter "Adloox") regarding practices implemented by the companies Meta Platforms Inc., Meta Platforms (...)

Several entities sanctioned in bakery equipment distribution sector* Distribution of bakery equipment: The Autorité de la concurrence fines Bongard and the Bongard Dealers’ Association for price fixing. It also fines these same entities and the Euromat purchasing office for practices that (...)

Sale of access to company databases: The Autorité condemns several Bureau van Dijk Group companies and Ellisphere for price fixing and market sharing* Background The Autorité de la concurrence (hereinafter "the Autorité") condemns the price-fixing and market-sharing practices committed (...)

European Commission refers review of takeover of GO Sport assets proposed by British group Frasers subsidiary Sportsdirect.com to the Autorité de la concurrence On April 5 2023, the European Commission (EC) referred the review of the acquisition of sole control of GO Sport assets proposed by (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Ovoteam by the LDC group* Background On 28 February 2023, the LDC group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire the company Ovoteam. This follow the acquisition of the Matines business by the LDC group in (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Bricolex shops owner Le Chamois by Gifi group, subject to conditions* Background The Autorité de la concurrence authorises, subject to conditions, the Gifi group, which operates in the sector of bazaar and decoration products (...)

The Autorité’s General Rapporteur sends statement of objections to three companies in the intra-Caribbean regional air transport sector* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence announces that statements of objections were sent a few days ago to three companies in the sector (...)

Canard-Duchêne champagnes: Several Arvitis group companies and two wholesale importers fined for maintaining exclusive import rights* Canard-Duchêne champagnes: The Autorité de la concurrence fines several Arvitis group companies and two wholesale importers for maintaining exclusive import (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence launches a public consultation until 31 March as part of its inquiry into the land passenger transport sector* Background As part of its inquiry into the land passenger transport sector, the Autorité de la concurrence is launching a public consultation to (...)

E-mobility: The Autorité starts proceedings ex officio to analyse competition in the sector of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles* Background The Autorité de la concurrence has decided to start proceedings ex officio to analyse and issue an opinion on the competitive operation (...)

Application for review of injunctions: The Autorité de la concurrence declares Interflora’s complaint inadmissible* Background On 1 December 2020, Interflora France referred to the Autorité de la concurrence for a review of the injunctions issued against it by Decision of the Minister for (...)

Outdoor accommodation industry: The Autorité clears the acquisition of the Vacanceselect Group by the ECG Group, subject to conditions* Background The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition by the ECG Group, which is active in the outdoor accommodation sector, of the (...)

Airport catering: the Autorité de la concurrence opens an in-depth examination in the context of the proposed creation of a joint venture by the Aéroport de Paris and Select Service Partner groups* Background On 28 October 2022, the Aéroport de Paris and Select Service Partner groups (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines CTPL-AG for abuse of a dominant position* The Autorité de la concurrence fines CTPL-AG for excessive prices in the market for roadworthiness tests for heavy-duty vehicles and for favouring its sister company, which is active in the related market for (...)

Distribution of food products in Martinique: the Parfait Group commits itself to divesting the Géant Casino La Batelière hypermarket in Martinique in response to competition problems identified by the Autorité de la concurrence* Background On 23 September 2021, the Parfait group notified (...)

Mobility - the Autorité starts proceedings ex officio to analyse the competitive functioning in the land passenger transport sector* Background The Autorité de la concurrence has decided to start ex officio proceedings in order to analyse the competitive functioning of land passenger (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines Audiens Santé-Prévoyance, in a dominant position on the markets for collective supplementary social protection for entertainment workers, for abuse of a dominant position in the market for payroll management services for entertainment workers, in which its (...)

Agrifood: The Autorité de la concurrence opens an in-depth examination into the creation of a joint venture by the Euralis and Maïsadour groups* Background On 2 May 2022, the Euralis and Maïsadour groups notified the Autorité de la concurrence of their plan to merge through the creation of (...)

Hosting of antennas on pylon sites: the Autorité de la concurrence rejects TDF’s request to lift its commitments* Background The Autorité de la concurrence has rejected TDF’s request to lift the commitments made mandatory by Decision 15-D-09 of 4 June 2015. The Autorité considers that (...)

Partial reawarding of the TV rights for Football Ligue 1 to Amazon: the Autorité de la concurrence rejects the complaints of the Canal + Group and beIN Sports for lack of sufficient evidence* Background The reawarding to Amazon of the broadcasting rights for Football Ligue 1 previously (...)

The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the cow’s milk supply sector* Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, the investigation services of the Autorité de la concurrence have raided (...)

Fisheries and aquaculture sector: the Autorité de la concurrence fines the Association réunionnaise interprofessionnelle de la pêche et de l’aquaculture (Reunionese Interprofessional Fisheries and Aquaculture Association) for implementing an anticompetitive agreement on price and control of (...)

The Autorité clears the acquisition of Aleda by Française des Jeux, subject to conditions* Background Having examined the acquisition of Aleda by Française des Jeux (FDJ), the Autorité cleared the transaction subject to conditions. FDJ submitted behavioural remedies to address the (...)

Resale of postage stamps for franking: the Autorité rejects the complaint of Culture Presse against La Poste and, for the first time, makes use of the procedure of dismissal due to lack of priority* Background The Autorité de la concurrence today rejected Culture Presse’s complaint (...)

Gas supply: the Autorité de la concurrence hands out fines worth one million euro to Gaz de Bordeaux and its parent companies for abusing the resources at its disposal as a public service to develop its competitive activity* Background Referred to by the French Energy sectoral regulator, (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover by the Reworld Media group of Unify, the "digital division" of TF1* On 22 September 2022, the Reworld Media group notified the Autorité of its plan to take exclusive control of Unify. Parties to the transaction The Reworld Media group is (...)

Optical lenses sector: the Autorité de la concurrence hands out fines worth 81 067 400 euros to Essilor International SAS and its parent company EssilorLuxottica SA for discriminatory trade practices* Background Following dawn raids, interviews and discussions with the main stakeholders in (...)

Dawn raids in the leather goods retail sector* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the leather goods retail sector. Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, the investigation services of (...)

Connecting buildings to the fibre optic network (Faber contract): the Autorité fines Altice 75 million euros for the clearance of penalty payments and non-compliance with injunctions issued in 2017* Background For the record, the Autorité de la concurrence had cleared the takeover of SFR (...)

TF1/M6: The Autorité de la concurrence takes note of the decision to withdraw its planned acquisition* The Autorité de la concurrence (hereinafter the "Autorité") takes note of the announcement made today by Bouygues, to withdraw its plan to acquire exclusive control of the Métropole (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the takeover of Compagnie du Lit by France Literie* On 3 January 2022, the Finadorm Group (France Literie) notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole control of the CDL Group (La Compagnie du Lit). (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the takeover of Compagnie du Lit by Finadorm* On 3 January 2022, the Finadorm Group (France Literie) notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole control of the CDL Group (La Compagnie du Lit). Parties to (...)

The Autorité accepts Google’s commitments to create a framework for negotiating and sharing the information necessary for a transparent assessment of the remuneration of related rights and makes these commitments binding Background Today, the Autorité de la concurrence issues a decision in (...)

Related rights: The advisory firm, Accuracy, has been accepted by the Autorité de la concurrence as a monitoring trustee in the case involving Google* On Friday 7 September, the Autorité de la concurrence accepted the advisory firm, Accuracy, as a monitoring trustee in the case involving (...)

Meta makes commitments to the Autorité de la concurrence* Meta makes commitments to the Autorité de la concurrence to put an end to practices that may raise competition concerns in the French market for non-search related online advertising **Background Following a complaint by Criteo in (...)

The Autorité publishes a new framework document on competition compliance programmes* The revision of the compliance framework document initially published in 2012 A group of experts from the private sector (companies, trade associations and law firms) and representatives of the Autorité (...)

Takeover of Conforama by the But Group: the Autorité identifies competitive risks but clears the transaction without commitment, in application of the failing firm exception* Background In July 2020, the Autorité cleared Mobilux (parent company of the But group) to acquire Conforama (...)

Medical pathology laboratories: the Autorité clears, subject to conditions, the takeover of the company Bio Pôle Antilles by the Inovie group For the first time, the Autorité de la concurrence considers that a non-controlling minority stake concomitant with an exclusive takeover is likely to (...)

The Autorité clears the acquisition of Coriolis by Altice France* Altice, a French group active in the telecommunications sector, notified the Autorité de la Concurrence on 18 March 2022 of a plan to acquire Coriolis, also active in this sector. Parties to the transaction Altice France (...)

The Autorité clears the acquisition of Bimédia by DL Software, which controls Devlyx*Background After examining Bimédia’s acquisition transaction by the DL Software group, which owns Devlyx, the Autorité cleared the transaction without conditions, considering that it was not likely to harm (...)

The general rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence has stated objections to two companies in the outdoor advertising sector* The companies in question are criticised for having concluded and implemented, in the outdoor advertising sector, an agreement to share upstream markets, in (...)

The Autorité fines Cofepp for acquiring control of MBWS without prior notification of the transaction and without waiting for its decision* Background The Autorité de la concurrence has fined Cofepp (Poliakov, Label 5, Cruz, Saint James, Old Nick, etc.) for acquiring control of Marie (...)

The European Commission refers to the Autorité de la concurrence the examination of the effects in France of the acquisition of control of McKesson Europe by the Phoenix Group* The European Commission refers to the Autorité de la concurrence the examination of the effects in France of the (...)

The Autorité clears the takeover of Stokomani group by the Zouari family* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover by the Zouari family of the Stokomani group (bazaar and decoration products). On 23 February 2022, the Zouari family notified the Autorité of its plan to take (...)

TF1/M6: the Autorité de la concurrence opens an in-depth examination* Following a pre-notification phase, the Bouygues group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its planned acquisition of the Métropole Télévision group on 17 February 2022. The Bouygues group The Bouygues group (...)

The Autorité fines several companies for anticompetitive agreements in the waste collection and management sector in Haute-Savoie* Background Following dawn raids and an investigation report sent by the Brigade interrégionale d’enquêtes de concurrence d’Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, the Autorité (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Liveli daycare centres by the Grandir Group, which operates Les Petits Chaperons Rouges daycare centres* Parties to the transaction The Grandir Group has notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire Crèche Attitude, (...)

As part of a negotiated procedure, the Autorité fines EDF 300 million euros, and several of its subsidiaries, for abuse of a dominant position* Background Following a complaint from Engie and the carrying out of dawn raids, the Autorité de la concurrence issues today a decision by which it (...)

Air freight transport of pets to Polynesia: the Autorité de la concurrence fines a company for abuse of a dominant position* Background Following a report transmitted by the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) and an investigation (...)

The Autorité clears the takeover of 15 organic stores of the Salej group by Naturalia, a subsidiary of the Casino Group* Background After reviewing the transaction to acquire 15 organic stores from the Salej group by Naturalia, a subsidiary of the Casino group, the Autorité cleared the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines an ambulance company for participating in an anticompetitive agreement* Following an investigation conducted by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) into the medical transport contracts of Val (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence starts proceedings ex officio to analyse competition conditions in the cloud computing sector* During his hearing on 12 January 2022 before the French National Assembly (Assemblée nationale), Benoit Cœuré indicated that the digital sector would be one of the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence hands down fines for cartel practices to two joint service offices and several of their members, all court bailiffs in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis départements* Background Following the complaint from court bailiffs’ offices, today the Autorité issues two (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the Zouari family’s takeover of the Maxi Bazar Group (decoration and bazaar products)* On 25 November 2021, the Zouari family notified the Autorité of its plan to acquire sole control of the Maxi Bazar Group. Parties to the transaction The Zouari (...)

The Autorité clears the takeover of Allopneus by Michelin* Following the European Commission’s referral decision of 21 October 2021 (see the press release of 22 October 2021), the Michelin group notified the Autorité of its plan to acquire sole control of Allopneus and its subsidiaries, over (...)

Chemical pathology laboratories: the Autorité clears the acquisition of the Labexa Group by the Cerba Group, subject to conditions* Parties to the transaction The Cerba Group is mainly active in the chemical pathology sector and operates a network of 495 laboratories in France. It also has (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has opened an investigation into alleged practices in the fuel supply, storage and distribution sector in Corsica* In decision 21-SO-17 of 15 December 2021, the Autorité de la concurrence opened an investigation into alleged practices in the fuel products (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence unconditionally clears the acquisition of the TMF Group by Prim@ever and the Olano Group* On 15 November 2021, Prim@ever, which is jointly controlled by the STEF Group and the Olano Group, notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire joint (...)

In an opinion submitted to the ARCEP, the Autorité expresses reservations about the concessions envisaged in the context of the ex ante regulation of the upstream wholesale market for DTT broadcasting services* Background Referred to by the French Telecommunications and Posts Regulator (...)

Google proposes commitments as part of the investigation into the merits of the related rights case. The Autorité submits them for public consultation* Background Following on from the interim procedure that led to the adoption of interim measures in April 2020, the Autorité continued its (...)

Subject to conditions, the Autorité clears the acquisition of the three main dealership networks for leisure accommodation vehicles by the Trigano group* Following the transaction, the Trigano group will become the leading integrated player in the distribution of leisure accommodation (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Nel Group from Mayotte for obstructing the investigation* The Autorité today issued a decision in which it fined Mayotte Channel Gateway (MCG), which manages and operates the port of Longoni in Mayotte, and its parent company (Société Nel Import (...)

Cross-Channel freight transport: the General Rapporteur states that two shipping companies have been notified of objections* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence states that objections have been notified this week in the short sea cross-Channel freight shipping sector. (...)

The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the food retail sector* Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, the investigation services of the Autorité de la concurrence have raided yesterday the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines video surveillance manufacturer Mobotix and its wholesalers for anticompetitive agreements* Background Following an investigation report sent by the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines Tereos Océan Indien for abuse of a dominant position* Background Following a complaint lodged by the company Réunionnaise du Rhum, the Autorité de la concurrence has fined the sugar and molasses producer Tereos Océan Indien (TOI) 750,000 euros for (...)

The European Commission refers to the Autorité de la concurrence the examination of Maxi Toys stores in France takeover by Prenatal alongside Fijace* On 26 October 2021, the European Commission referred to the Autorité de la concurrence the examination of Maxi Toys stores in France takeover (...)

Mobile network infrastructure: the Autorité cleared the acquisition of Hivory by the Cellnex Group, subject to conditions* On 23 August 2021, Cellnex notified its intention to acquire control of Hivory. In a decision dated 25 October 2021, the Autorité clears the transaction subject to (...)

The European Commission refers the examination of Michelin’s acquisition of Allopneus to the Autorité de la concurrence* On 21 October 2021, the European Commission referred to the Autorité de la concurrence the examination of the Michelin Group’s acquisition of exclusive control of the (...)

Steel industry: the Autorité clears the acquisition of Liberty Ascoval and Liberty Rail Hayange by the Saarstahl Group* On 11 June 2021, the German Saarstahl Group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire the steel companies Liberty Ascoval and Liberty Rail Hayange. The (...)

Bisphenol A in food containers: the general rapporteur indicates having stated objections to 101 companies and 14 professional organisations* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that objections were stated a few days ago in the manufacture and retail of (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines ESPACE FOOT for imposing the prices of the sporting goods sold in the stores on its franchisees* Background Following a report sent by the French Ministry of the Economy, the Autorité de la concurrence today fined ESPACE FOOT €25,000 for imposing on its (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence opens a public consultation with a view to publish a new framework document on competition compliance programmes* Update of the 2012 compliance framework document A group of experts from the private sector (companies, professional associations and law firms) (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of Yoplait by Sodiaal (Candia, Entremont, Régilait…)* Sodiaal cooperative group notified the Autorité de la concurrence on 3 September 2021, of its plan to acquire control of the Yoplait group (excluding US activities). After its review, the (...)

Distribution in La Réunion: Cattier company fined for setting up an exclusive import agreement on the distribution of its champagne in La Réunion* Background Following a report sent by the French Minister of Economy (DGCCRF), the Autorité de la concurrence established that the Cattier (...)

For the first time, the Autorité de la concurrence is studying the markets for electric vehicle charging stations* It has cleared the creation of a joint venture in the sector of public charging stations for electric cars in the Antilles and French Guiana. Background The Autorité has (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Caroll by Beaumanoir* The Beaumanoir Group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire all the Caroll shops located in France. Parties to the transaction The Beaumanoir Group owns clothes shops in France and (...)

Takeover of Conforama France by the Mobilux Group (BUT): the Autorité opens an in-depth examination* The Mobilux Group (hereinafter "Mobilux"), which controls the But group, notified the Autorité de la concurrence of the acquisition of sole control of 172 Conforama and Confo! stores after (...)

Conditionnal green light to the acquisition of 100 Bio c’ Bon stores by Carrefour* For the first time, the Autorité has recognized the existence of a market for organic products The Autorité clears the takeover of 100 Bio c’Bon stores by Carrefour, subject to the divestiture of eight (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines several players in the road freight transport sector for boycotting digital intermediation platforms* Background The Autorité opened an investigation following a referral from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (DGCCRF), followed by dawn raids in (...)

Wood and panel trade: the Autorité conditionally clears the acquisition of Panofrance (Chausson Matériaux) by Distribution Matériaux Bois-Panneaux (Saint-Gobain)* On 6 July 2021, Distribution Matériaux Bois-Panneaux (DMBP) notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence identifies for the first time the provision of coworking spaces as a relevant market* It clears the acquisition of joint control of Miniburo by the French Deposit and Consignment Office (hereafter CDC) and Nexity On 10 August 2021, the French Deposit and (...)

Car spare parts : the Autorité de la concurrence welcomes the partial opening to competition of the sale of visible spare parts* Adopted on 24 August 2021, the bill n° 2021-1104 of 22 August 2021 on combating climate change and strengthening resilience to its effects allows for the gradual (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence revises its procedural notice on fines* Background The Autorité is today publishing a new procedural notice on the method for determining fines, which repeals and replaces the previous notice of 16 May 2011. This new notice was the subject of a public (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Oriade-Noviale by Biogroup, subject to the divestiture of eight medical analysis sites (Isère, Rhône and Haute-Savoie)* Parties to the transaction Biogroup is active in the chemical pathology sector, with laboratories spread over (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence opens a public consultation as part of a merger in the temperature-controlled goods transport sector* The Autorité de la concurrence is examining a proposed merger under the terms of which the company Prim@ever, jointly controlled by STEF and SATAR (...)

The Autorité clears the acquisition of childrenswear and toy shops Catimini, Z and Kidiliz by the Idkids Group (Okaïdi, Jacadi and Oxybul)* The Idkids Group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire shops in the Kidiliz Group, operated under the tradenames Catimini, K (...)

Several eyewear brands and manufacturers fined for imposing selling prices and restrictions on online sales* The Autorité fines several eyewear brands and manufacturers, including the leading global and European supplier, for imposing selling prices on opticians and prohibiting them from (...)

Remuneration of related rights for press publishers and agencies: the Autorité fines Google up to 500 million euros for non-compliance with several injunctions* Remuneration of related rights for press publishers and agencies: the Autorité fines Google up to 500 million euros for (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Aviva France by the Aéma Group (Macif)* On 24 June 2021, the Aéma Group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole control of the insurance company Aviva France. Parties to the transaction The Aéma Group (...)

Dawn raids in the collection and use of pharmacy data sector* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the collection and use of pharmacy data sector. Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence opens a public consultation on a merger in the real estate sector* The Autorité de la concurrence is examining a proposed merger under which the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (French Deposit and Consignment Office), together with Nexity, plans to acquire (...)

The Autorité clears the takeover of GAP by the Financière Immobilière Bordelaise* On 4 June 2021, the Financière Immobilière Bordelaise group (hereinafter "FIB") notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire the activities of the GAP brand in France. Parties to the (...)

The Autorité clears the takeover of Agatha stores by Altesse (Les Georgettes, Saunier) and Thom (Histoire d’Or, Marc Orian, Trésor)* Altesse and Thom, the first of which owns "Les Georgettes" and "Saunier" and the second of which owns "Histoire d’Or", "Marc Orian" and "Trésor", notified the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence opens a public consultation for the revision of its Notice on Fines following the transposition of the ECN + directive* The update of the 2011 Notice on Fines The entry into force of ordinance n° 2021-649 of 26 May 2021 relating to the transposition of (...)

Reawarding of the football Ligue 1’s TV rights: The Autorité de la concurrence rejects Canal + Group’s complaint against the LFP, for lack of sufficient evidence* Background On 29 January 2021, Canal Plus Group ("GCP") referred practices allegedly implemented by the Ligue de Football (...)

Takeover of the La Batelière hypermaket at La Martinique: Leclerc withdraws from the transaction* On 10 April 2020, the Autorité de la concurrence received a notification regarding the acquisition of a business operating a predominantly food store located in Schoelcher (Martinique) by a (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence hands out a €220 millions fine to Google for favouring its own services in the online advertising sector* Google, did not dispute the facts, wished to settle with the Autorité, which granted its request. Google also proposed commitments, accepted by the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of C2s clinics by the Elsan group* Following the referral decision of the European Commission on 12 April 2021, the Elsan group notified the Autorité of its plan to take exclusive control of the C2S clinics on 30 April 2021. Parties to the (...)

In the context of an investigation opened before the Autorité in the online advertising sector, Facebook proposes commitments* The Autorité de la concurrence is submitting these commitments for public consultation, and is inviting actors from the sector to provide their feedback. The case (...)

The Autorité clears the acquisition of the Rolls-Royce Group’s safety instrumentation and control business by Framatome, an EDF subsidiary* On 20 April 2021, Framatome notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole control of the entire safety instrumentation and control (...)

The Autorité clears the takeover of 128 La Halle stores by Chaussea, subject to the divestiture of 4 stores* On 17 June 2020, Chaussea notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire 128 stores operating under the La Halle brand. The acquisition is in the context of the (...)

Hydrocarbon transport by pipeline: the Autorité blocks the takeover of Société du Pipeline Méditerranée-Rhône (SPMR) by Ardian group* Background The Ardian group, which is notably active in the transport, telecommunications and renewable energy sectors, has notified the Autorité of its (...)

The Fleury Michon group is fined 100,000 euros for obstructing an investigation* The Fleury Michon group is fined 100,000 euros for having obstructed the conduct of the investigation carried out by the Autorité in the case of the ham and cold meat sector cartel. Background On 16 July (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to the divestment of assets in Île-de-France, the takeover of Suez RV OSIS by SARP, a subsidiary of Veolia* On 5 February 2021, the European Commission referred to the Autorité de la concurrence the examination of the takeover by SARP, a (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of Prisma Media (Ça m’intéresse, Capital, Cuisine Actuelle, Femme Actuelle, Gala, Télé Loisirs…) by Vivendi.* On 24 March 2021, the Vivendi group notified the Autorité of the exclusive control acquisition of the Prisma Media press group. (...)

The European Commission opens a review of Illumina’s acquisition of Grail under the procedure of Article 22 of the 2004 Merger Regulation* Background Following the referral request submitted by the Autorité de la concurrence, which was joined by several Member States of the European (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the acquisition of the Ronsard Group by the LDC Group* A number of slaughterhouses will have to be divested to maintain sufficient competition for poultry farmers. On 8 January 2021, the LDC Group notified the Autorité of its (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines the three main French manufacturers of industrial sandwiches sold under retailer’s own brand label for anticompetitive agreement* Background The Autorité de la concurrence fines Roland Monterrat, La Toque Angevine (hereinafter "LTA") and Snacking Services (...)

Ethibat label: the Autorité is closing an investigation into the French Construction and Public Works Federation of Haute-Garonne (FBTP 31)* The Autorité is closing an investigation into the French Construction and Public Works Federation of Haute-Garonne (FBTP 31) regarding the ETHIBAT (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence rejects the referral filed by Singing Studio in the karaoke sector for lack of evidence* Singing Studio’s complaint Singing Studio, which operates two establishments specialising in karaoke in Lille and Paris, has referred practices implemented by the Karafun (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines Double Tour for issuing cover quotes in the tobacconist security provision sector* Following an investigation by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) into the tobacconist security provision sector, (...)

City of Lille’s call for tenders: Santerne (Vinci group) fined up to €435,000 The Autorité de la concurrence fines Santerne Nord Tertiaire (subsidiary of the Vinci group) €435,000 for exchanging information with another company in a call for tenders organised by the city of Lille (Communauté (...)

After receiving a complaint from an electricity supplier, the Autorité de la concurrence has not issued urgent interim measures against EDF but continues its investigation into the merits of the case* The electricity supplier Plüm Energie, which offers the supply of electricity to local and (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears without conditions the acquisition of Groupe Paris Turf by NJJ Holding, controlled by Xavier Niel* On 11 June 2020, NJJ Holding (hereinafter ‘NJJ’), controlled by Mr. Xavier Niel and parent company of the NJJ Group, notified the Autorité de la (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of Cosmeurop, subsidiary of L’Oréal, by Superga Invest* On 15 February 2021, the Superga Invest group notified the Autorité of its plan to acquire exclusive control of Cosmeurop. Parties to the transaction The Superga Invest group is (...)

The Autorité clears the stake acquired in Storengy, a subsidiary of Engie, by DMSE, a company created by the Metropolitan Authority of Dijon and the group Rougeot, which is active in the hydrogen production sector* Background When examining the transaction concerning the stake acquired by (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence publishes a study on professional bodies* To mark new provisions coming into force that expose professional bodies to heavier and more dissuasive sanctions, and as part of an approach aimed at promoting compliance, the Autorité has dedicated a study to the (...)

Lego makes commitments to the Autorité de la concurrence to amend its price discount system* Following an open procedure before the Autorité de la concurrence, the building games company Lego France, a subsidiary of Lego Group, enters into commitments designed to facilitate access for all of (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of Altaïr group by Eurazeo company* Eurazeo notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to take over Altaïr group by acquiring 100% of its shares. Parties to the transaction Eurazeo is a subsidiary of Eurazeo S.E., the parent (...)

The Autorité clears the takeover of ready-to-wear brand JOTT by L Catterton Europe (BA&SH) company* On 22 December 2020, L Catterton Europe company notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole control of JOTT. Parties to the transaction L Catterton Europe is (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence dismisses the thermal insulation case* Background In response to a referral by the French Minister of the Economy and the company Actis regarding practices in the sector of thermal insulation for buildings by the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of certain assets and securities of the Courtepaille Group by the holding company of Buffalo Grill Group* The company Antelope Acquisition 2, which owns Buffalo Grill Group, notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its planned takeover (...)

The Autorité clears, subject to conditions, the exclusive control acquisition by Bouygues Telecom group of Euro Information Telecom* The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the exclusive control acquisition by Bouygues Telecom group, of Euro Information Telecom, (...)

Take-over of a Géant Casino hypermarket in Martinique: the Autorité opens an in-depth examination* The Parfait group (hereinafter “Parfait”) and the Association des Centres Distributeurs E. Leclerc (hereinafter “ACDLec”) notified the Autorité de la concurrence of the joint take-over of a (...)

SNCF has requested the revision of commitments made in 2014 regarding the sale of train tickets* SNCF, which undertook commitments before the Autorité de la concurrence in 2014 concerning the terms of train ticket sales online, is now requesting for them to be revised, arguing that the (...)

The Autorité issues a new decision concerning purchasing offices and makes the commitments made by Carrefour and Tesco binding* The retailers commit to reducing the scope of their joint purchases for their own-brand labels and take measures to ensure that SMEs have access to tenders for the (...)

The Autorité clears the acquisition of 511 Camaïeu stores by Financière Immobilière Bordelaise* The Financière Immobilière Bordelaise group (hereinafter referred to as "FIB") notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its intended acquisition of 511 Camaïeu stores. The transaction comes (...)

Failure to refund cancelled flights: the Autorité de la concurrence rejects the complaint by travel agencies on the basis that there is no evidence of anticompetitive practices. The Autorité’s decision should not prejudge the compatibility of practices with European Regulation No. 261/2004 (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence opens an in-depth examination into the acquisition of Société du Pipeline Méditerranée-Rhône (SPMR) by Ardian Group* On 14 September 2020, Ardian France, a French private equity and asset management company notified of its plan to acquire exclusive control of (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence hands out a fine to Dammann Frères tea for imposing sales prices on the retailers selling its products online* Background Following an investigation report from the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), the (...)

Responses to calls for tenders by subsidiaries of the same group: the Autorité amends its decision-making practice following a judgement of the CJEU* Following a judgement of the CJEU clarifying European case-law, the Autorité de la concurrence amends its decision-making practice, which (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the merger of Oosterdam (Pimkie, Grain de Malice) and Happychic (Jules, Brice, Bizzbee) groups* The Oosterdam (Pimkie, Grain de Malice) and Happychic (Jules, Brice, Bizzbee) groups, both ultimately owned by members of the Mulliez family, have notified (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence declines its competence for ruling on practices implemented in French Polynesia* In its decision of 22 August 2019, the Autorité polynésienne de la concurrence ruled that the Wane Group had breached the Polynesian Code of Competition Law (code de la concurrence (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence welcomes the decisive step towards transposition of the ECN+ Directive taken by Parliament on Wednesday with the adoption of the DDADUE bill* The adoption by Parliament on Wednesday 18 November 2020 of the DDADUE bill (a bill containing various provisions (...)

Aldi – Leader Price transaction: The Autorité clears the acquisition of 554 Leader Price stores and 2 Casino stores by Aldi, subject to the divestiture of 9 stores* In a decision issued today, the Autorité de la concurrence cleared the acquisition of Leader Price by Aldi, subject to (...)

Food distribution, fuel distribution, maritime services and waste management: the Autorité delivers its opinion on the competitive situation in Corsica island* Following an investigation lasting several months, the Autorité today issues its opinion on the competitive situation on the island. (...)

Dental care networks: the National Council and five departmental councils of the College of Dental Surgeons and two trade union federations fined for boycott* The Autorité de la concurrence hands out fines worth €4 million to the National Council and five departmental councils of the (...)

Nicolas Feuillatte champagne and two importer-distributors fined for having maintained exclusive import agreements in the French Antilles* Background Following a report sent by the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), the Autorité (...)

Playstation: the Autorité considers that the commitments proposed by Sony do not adequately address the identified competition concerns. The case is returned for investigation* As part of a litigation procedure before the Autorité de la concurrence, Sony had proposed commitments to address (...)

Purchasing offices: the Autorité accepts the commitments proposed by Casino, Auchan, Metro and Schiever* Purchasing offices: to address the risks of harm to upstream and downstream competition identified in the process of requesting urgent interim measures, the Autorité accepts the (...)

Purchasing offices: Carrefour and Tesco propose commitments* Following its investigation into the joint purchasing agreement signed by Carrefour and Tesco, the Autorité de la concurrence received commitment proposals from the two groups redefining the scope of their cooperation on own-brand (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to the conditions of divesting agencies and fleets, the acquisition of the group Via Location by the group Fraikin* On 3 June 2020, the group Fraikin notified the Autorité of a plan to acquire full control of the company Via Location. The (...)

The Autorité clears, subject to conditions, the acquisition of Société de Financement Local by Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations* On 24 July 2020, the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) notified the Autorité de la Concurrence of its plans to acquire Société de Financement Local (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears two transactions in the audiovisual sector* The Autorité de la concurrence cleared the joint takeover of Mediawan by companies of Messrs Capton, Pigasse and Niel and the exclusive control acquisition of Lagardère Studio by Mediawan. On 17 August 2020, (...)

Alsace wines: The Autorité sanctions three professional organisations for anticompetitive practices* Following evidence and documents sent by the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), the Autorité sanctioned two trade associations, (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has issued an opinion to Arcep as part of the cycle of analysis of the fixed broadband and superfast broadband wholesale markets* Background Arcep requested the opinion of the Autorité de la concurrence on five draft decisions adopted by Arcep as part of the (...)

Opening up bus networks in Ile-de-France to competition: the Autorité issues an opinion to Île-de-France Mobilités on the competitive bidding process of middle and outer rings of Greater Paris bus lines* Background Following a referral by the Île-de-France Transport Trade Association, also (...)

The Autorité welcomes the announcement by the European Commission, which will henceforth allow national competition authorities to refer sensitive merger transactions to it for examination, including when they are not subject to national merger control* This new approach, which was announced (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Prosegur by Fiducial* On 6 August 2020, the Fiducial group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole control of the companies Prosegur Services France and Prosegur Security Holding France. Parties to the (...)

Treatment for AMD: the Autorité fines 3 laboratories for abusive practices* The Autorité de la concurrence has imposed fines worth a total of €444 million on three pharmaceutical companies, Novartis, Roche and Genentech, for abusive practices designed to sustain the sales of Lucentis for AMD (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition, by the Doctegestio group of the UMG-GHM clinics in Grenoble.* On 17 August 2020, Doctegestio notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to solely take over the UMG-GHM clinics located in the Isère département and in the (...)

For the first time ever, the Autorité de la concurrence blocks a merger* Soditroy and the Association des Centres Distributeurs E. Leclerc were planning to acquire joint control of a Géant Casino hypermarket in the conurbation of Troyes. This merger raised serious competition concerns (...)

Lego proposes commitments to the Autorité to modify its pricing policy* The Autorité launches a market consultation to assess this proposal. Cdiscount and EMC Distribution (Casino Group’s reference listing offices) lodged a complaint with the Autorité de la concurrence regarding practices (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence will develop new map proposals for the establishment of court bailiffs and judicial auctioneers* Its new recommendations will take account the short-, medium- and long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the activity of these two professions. Background (...)

Chemical pathology laboratories: the Autorité clears, subject to conditions, the take-over of Dyomedea-Neolab Group by Biogroup Group* Parties to the transaction Biogroup Group is active in the chemical pathology sector, with laboratories located at over 550 sites across the country. (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the sole control acquisition of the assets of the Fruité company and its subsidiaries Unisource and Bric Fruit by Refresco (Saint Alban and Sun)* On 10 June 2020, Refresco France notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence publishes its new guidelines regarding merger control* Since autumn 2017, the Autorité has been deeply involved in the modernisation and simplification of merger control. On 20 April 2019, a decree simplifying the procedure for notifying a merger to the (...)

Medical biology laboratories: the Autorité clears, subject to certain conditions, the acquisition of the Laborizon group by the Biogroup group* Parties to the transaction Biogroup is active in the medical biology sector, with laboratories distributed over more than 550 sites, throughout (...)

The Autorité hands out fines worth 93 million euros to a cartel in the ham and cold meats (charcuterie) sector* The manufactures involved (“cold meat manufacturers”) worked in concert in order to purchase cuts of ham from slaughterhouses at lower prices and/or were fixing the price (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of J3L by the Hermès group* The Hermès group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole control of the J3L company. After examining the effects of the transaction, the Autorité has cleared it (...)

The project to deploy Darty spaces within Carrefour hypermarkets does not constitute a merger and therefore does not have to be submitted to mandatory clearance by the Autorité de la concurrence* On 22 May 2020, Fnac-Darty notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to deploy sales (...)

The International Competition Network presents a scoping paper on “Big Data and Cartels” analyzing the impact of digitalization in cartel enforcement* What does digitalization change in cartel enforcement? Over the past few years, there has been a wide debate about the new digital (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to several conditions, the merger of two agricultural cooperatives, Coopérative Dauphinoise and Terre d’Alliances* Background Agricultural cooperatives Coopérative Dauphinoise and Terre d’Alliances notified the Autorité de la concurrence of (...)

The European Commission just referred the acquisition of Conforama France by Mobilux (But) to the Autorité de la concurrence* Following the announcement of Conforama’s plan to restructure and transform its business in France in July 2019, Mobilux plans to acquire Conforama. In France, (...)

Purchasing Offices: The Autorité Examines Commitment Proposals* The Autorité de la concurrence launched several inquiries to examine the joint purchasing agreements in the food retail sector. It has received proposals for commitments relating to the agreements concluded between Casino, (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Ménafinance by Crédit Agricole Group* Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance (CACF) notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its proposed acquisition of sole control of Ménafinance. After examining the effects of the transaction, the (...)

The European Commission refers to the Autorité de la concurrence the takeover transaction of 567 Leader Price stores by Aldi* A few months after Aldi announced the takeover of Leader Price stores, the parties concluded, in March, a promise to purchase for 567 Leader Price stores and 3 (...)

The Autorité has published a study on competition and e-commerce* The growth of e-commerce is profoundly changing distribution. The physical distribution model is facing strong competition from the growth of online sales, which may be the result of “pure play” online retailers and (...)

New opinion on the freedom of establishment of notaries: the Autorité launches a consultation* The Autorité de la Concurrence launches a public consultation with a view to preparing a new opinion on the freedom of establishment of notaries and proposing a revision of the map that was (...)

Food retail sector in La Réunion: the Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Vindémia by Groupe Bernard Hayot, subject to conditions* On 24 January 2020, Groupe Bernard Hayot (GBH) notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its acquisition of sole control of Vindémia Group, (...)

Gradual lifting of the state of health emergency in France: re-instating statutory time limits* The time limits applying to various procedures have been suspended since 12 March 2020, the date on which the health emergency period started in France. Order No. 2020-560 of 13 May 2020 setting (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Bombardier assets by Spirit* The Spirit group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plans to acquire sole control of the companies Short Brothers plc. and Bombardier North Africa SAS, as well as certain assets belonging to (...)

Reinstatement of deadlines for responding to statements of objections and reports* In a press release dated 27 March 2020, the Autorité de la concurrence stated that “the two-month period available to companies to submit, in application of Article L. 463-2 of the French Commercial Code, (...)

The Autorité clears the takeover of the group Europa by Comexposium* The Autorité de la concurrence has examined the proposed acquisition of full control of the group Europa, which is active in the organisation of conferences and other events sector, by Comexposium. The parties to the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence dismisses Molotov’s complaint concerning the practices of TF1 and M6 for lack of evidence* Molotov is a television channel distribution platform which aggregates and streams French audiovisual programmes over the top (OTT), i.e. via the Internet. The (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, without commitments, the acquisition of sole control of Sinoué group by Orpea group* On 20 March 2020, the Orpea group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire sole control of the Sinoué group. Parties to the transaction The (...)

The Autorité clarifies the options of a professional association for dealing with its members’ rent during the COVID-19 pandemic* In brief A professional association representing opticians (Rassemblement des Opticiens de France, hereinafter “ROF”) contacted the Autorité because it seeks to (...)

Neighbouring rights: the Autorité has granted requests for urgent interim measures presented by press publishers and the news agency AFP (Agence France Presse)* It requires Google to negotiate with publishers and news agencies the remuneration due to them under the law relating to (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines PMU for not complying with its commitment to separate the betting pools of its physical outlets and its website* Background Online gaming companies Betclic and Zeturf have referred practices by PMU in the online horse betting sector to the Autorité de (...)

Respiratory assistance equipment in French Guiana and the French West Indies: investigation closed for exclusive imports* The Autorité closes an initial investigation into exclusive import practices in the medical equipment sector intended for hospitals in French Guiana and the French West (...)

Adaptation of the time limits and procedures of the Autorité de la concurrence in times of health emergency* Background The Autorité specifies to businesses how the rules regarding deadlines and procedures will be adapted due to the state of health emergency. Following the adoption of (...)

Home Removals: the Autorité de la concurrence fines five companies in La Réunion for engaging in concerted practices.* Background Following a report by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) and an investigation, the Autorité hands out (...)

Adaptation of merger control procedures due to Coronavirus COVID-19* Given the health situation in France, the Autorité de la concurrence is forced to put in place extensive preventive measures. The services of the Autorité are working remotely since 17 March 2020. Time limits for (...)

Fines handed down to Apple, Tech Data and Ingram Micro* The Autorité de la concurrence hands out fines totalling €1,1 billion to Apple for engaging in anticompetitive agreements within its distribution network and abuse of a situation of economic dependency with regard to its “premium” (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the merger of the Macif and Aésio insurance groups* On 7 February 2020, the Macif and Aésio groups notified the Autorité de la concurrence of their planned merger. Parties to the transaction The MACIF group is a French insurance group active mainly (...)

Public consultation - Lawyers at the Conseil d’État (French Administrative Supreme Court) and the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court)* The Autorité de la concurrence has launched a public consultation with a view to preparing a new opinion on the freedom of establishment of these (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the takeover, in La Réunion, of the bakery group Pain Frotté by the groups Kin Siong, Lam Tow and Yong Wai Man* The Pain Frotté group operates artisanal bakeries in La Réunion under the trade names “L’Ambassadeur”, “Délicatesses (...)

The Autorité publishes its contribution to the debate on competition policy and the challenges raised by the digital economy* The Autorité de la concurrence publishes its contribution to the debate on competition policy in light of the challenges arising from the digital economy. It is thus (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has fined La Mutualité de la Réunion for non-compliance with commitments* In brief The Autorité has imposed a fine of €200,000 on La Mutualité de la Réunion (MR) for failing to comply with part of the commitments it had entered into before the Autorité that (...)

Regulated tariffs setting for legal professions: the Autorité publishes its opinion* The Autorité de la concurrence publishes online the opinion submitted to the French government following the publication in the Official Journal of the French Republic of a decree on the method for setting (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence creates a guide for SMEs* The Autorité wishes to develop, as part of a preventive approach, the knowledge of competition law held by all companies, in order for them to avoid breaching the law and for them to be able to use the tools of competition law to fight (...)

Orange activated fibre offer: the Autorité rejects the complaint of AOTA* The Autorité de la concurrence rejects the AOTA’s complaint regarding Orange’s practices for lack of evidence. The Autorité also announces the launching of an exploratory investigation into the business telecoms (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence publishes a new study on Behavioural remedies in competition law* In 2018, together with La Documentation française, the Autorité created a new collection, Les Essentiels, to further understanding of competition. After an initial study on loyalty rebates (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Groupe Nice Matin by NJJ, controlled by Xavier Niel* The Autorité de la concurrence examined the acquisition of sole control of the Nice Matin newspaper group (GNM), which publishes the Nice-Matin, Var-Matin and Monaco-Matin (...)

Distribution of frozen food products* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the joint takeover of Picard Group by the Zouari family and Lion Capital. The Zouari family, together with Lion Capital investment fund, notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire joint control (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence gives its approval to the creation of a public bank insurer in France* By a decision issued on 30 December 2019, the Autorité de la concurrence authorizes, on the one hand, La Banque Postale to take control over CNP Assurances. On the other hand, it authorizes (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the merger of agricultural cooperatives Océalia and Natéa* On 25 November 2019, the agricultural cooperative Océalia notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its proposed merger by takeover of agricultural cooperative Natéa. The parties to the (...)

The Autorité clears takeover of Steam Power Delta by Groupe Snef* Groupe Snef notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its proposed takeover of Steam Power Delta. After examining the effects of the transaction, the Autorité de la concurrence has cleared the transaction unconditionall The (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence hands down a €150M fine for abuse of a dominant position* Google has abused its dominant position in the search advertising market by adopting operating rules of its Google Ads advertising platform which are opaque and difficult to understand and by applying (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines the four historical meal vouchers issuers for a total of nearly 415 M€, for anticompetitive practices* Background The Autorité has been informed of anti-competitive practices in the meal vouchers sector by the company Octoplus (Resto Flash), which (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Softeam by Le Groupe La Poste* On 14 November 2019, Le Groupe La Poste notified the Autorité of its intention to acquire Softeam. This transaction is part of Le Groupe La Poste’s strategy to diversify its activities, resulting in (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence hands down fine worth a total of up to 58.3 million euros to the main fruit-compote manufacturers for pricing agreement and market sharing* Background The Autorité publishes today a decision by which it fines a national cartel between the main fruit-compote (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence authorises Casino to change from joint to sole control of companies Capdis and Holding Mag Spring.* It will now become the sole owner of 198 sales outlets operated jointly until now, under the brand names of its group. On 14 November 2019, Casino notified the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the take-over of the perfumes Azzaro and Thierry Mugler and their derived products by L’Oréal Group* On 14 November 2019, L’Oréal Group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its proposed acquisition of control of the marketing of luxury perfumes and (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Toulouse-Blagnac airport by the Eiffage group* On 8 November 2019, the Eiffage group notified the Autorité of its plan to acquire sole control of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport ("ATB"), which operates the Toulouse airport (31). By a (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has begun an in-depth examination into the acquisition of Société des Transports Pétroliers par Pipelines (Trapil) by Pisto SAS* Acquisition of France’s largest pipeline On 5 November 2019, Pisto SAS, which is active in the petroleum product storage (...)

Sale of hearing aids: the Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Audilab by the Demant group, subject to conditions.* Background After an in-depth examination of the hearing aids sector in its 2016 sector-wide inquiry and having made several recommendations aiming to ensure (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears two separate acquisitions but concerning companies belonging to the same group, AltéAd* These decisions are made following the opening of judicial reorganisation proceedings regarding AltéAd. On 25 June 2019, Mediaco Levage and Capelle Investissements (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of Groupe Léon de Bruxelles by Groupe Bertrand (Hippopotamus, Burger King, Lipp, La Coupole, etc.)* On 30 October 2019, Groupe Bertrand notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to take exclusive control of Groupe Léon de (...)

Freedom of establishment for court bailiffs and judicial auctioneers* The process of progressively opening up the two professions, which are scheduled to merge into the new profession of commissioner of justice in 2022, is producing encouraging results and should continue. Pursuant to the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence will now be able to access the data of electronic communication operators* The PACTE Law for the Growth and Transformation of Companies of 22 May 2019, has given the Autorité de la concurrence new power to investigate anticompetitive practices. The law now (...)

Dawn raids: VAT refund services* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the VAT refund services sector. Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, the investigation services of the Autorité (...)

Green light, subject to conditions, to the acquisition of Point P Travaux Publics by Frans Bonhomme* On 18 October 2019, Frans Bonhomme notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire control of one of its competitors, Distribution de Matériaux pour les Travaux Publics (...)

Games consoles: The Autorité launches a market consultation* In the context of a litigation procedure opened before the Autorité, Sony offers commitments to make its licensing policy more transparent to third parties wishing to manufacture and market compatible controllers with the (...)

Pursuant to this Decision, the Competition Authority declares inadmissible the referral of the case to Fréthelle, taking the view that the facts relied on do not fall within its field of competence. The Fréthelle company, which operates a public road passenger transport business, denounces (...)

Dawn raids in Mayotte* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the port service activities sector in the Longoni port (Mayotte island). Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, the (...)

Dawn raids in La Réunion* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the inter-island air passenger traffic sector in the Indian Ocean area. Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, the (...)

The Conseil d’Etat confirms the decision regarding the fine handed down to Fnac Darty for non-compliance with its commitments* In a judgment dated 7 November 2019, the Conseil d’Etat confirmed the whole of the decision 18-D-16 by which the Autorité fined Fnac Darty €20 million for failing (...)

Algorithms are among the most important technological drivers of the ongoing digitalization process. They are becoming more and more important, enabling firms to be more innovative and efficient. However, debate has arisen on whether and to what extent algorithms might also have detrimental (...)

In the Decision set out below, the Authority has examined the acquisition of sole control of the Confluent group by the Vivalto Santé group. The Confluent Group owns two healthcare facilities located in Nantes, namely the Confluent Private Hospital and the CCS chemotherapy centre located (...)

In the Decision set out below, the Authority has examined the acquisition of sole control of the Confluent group by the Vivalto Santé group. The Confluent Group owns two healthcare facilities located in Nantes, namely the Confluent Private Hospital and the CCS chemotherapy centre located (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Astre transport group €3.8 million for anticompetitive practices.* Background Following an investigation report sent by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), the Autorité de la concurrence has (...)

Acquisition of SFR by Altice: the Autorité de la concurrence will not renew the commitments and maintains certain injunctions* Given changes to the markets, the Autorité de la concurrence will not renew the commitments made by Altice upon acquiring SFR. However, the injunctions with (...)

Acquisition of a Casino hypermarket located in the Troyes urban area: The Autorité de la concurrence opens an in-depth examination phase* The Autorité de la concurrence opens an in-depth examination phase for the acquisition of a Casino hypermarket located in the Troyes urban area by (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Économie d’Énergie by Le Groupe La Poste.* Le Groupe La Poste notified the Autorité of its plans to take exclusive control of Économie d’Énergie. This transaction is part of Le Groupe La Poste’s strategy to diversify its activities, (...)

Modernisation of merger control* Today, the Autorité de la concurrence launched its online notification procedure for certain mergers. Background The Autorité is continuing the simplification process it has begun for merger procedures. After adopting various measures to reduce and (...)

In-depth examination into Elsan’s plans to acquire Hexagone Santé Méditerranée* Elsan notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plans to take exclusive control of Hexagone Santé Méditerranée (HSM). The parties to the transaction are especially active in the diagnosis and hospital care (...)

Distribution of perfumes and cosmetics in the French Antilles, French Guiana and La Réunion* The Autorité de la concurrence hands down fines to Procter & Gamble, Coty and Chanel and their wholesale importers for having set up exclusive import agreements. The Lurel Law has prohibited (...)

The Ordre des architectes is fined a total of €1.5 million for anticompetitive agreement* L’autorité de la concurrence fined the Ordre des architectes a total of €1.5 million for implementing anticompetitive practices. The Ordre des architectes set up, distributed and enforced a fee (...)

Distribution of automotive parts* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of TODD group by the company Alliance Automotive France On 2 September 2019, the company Alliance Automotive France (hereinafter « AAF ») notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to take over (...)

Acquisition of Cayenne supermarket Super NKT* The Autorité de la concurrence cleared the acquisition, subject to conditions, of the company NDIS and its subsidiary NG Kon Tia by SAFO (Huyghues-Despointes Group), which will be conditional on a divestiture prior to the acquisition of the (...)

Coach transport* The Autorité has given the green light to the acquisition of CarPostal France by Keolis Keolis notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its planned acquisition of CarPostal France. Following an examination of the effects of this transaction on the urban and interurban (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence opens a public consultation in order to revise its merger guidelines* Since autumn 2017, the Autorité has been involved in an important modernisation and simplification of merger control by easing the constraints on companies (see press release dated 25 April (...)

Dawn raids* The General Rapporteur of the Austrian competition authority and the General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicate that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the automatic swimming pool cleaning equipment distribution sector. Following judicial (...)

Cosmetic products* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Laboratoires Filorga Cosmétiques by Colgate Palmolive On 7 August 2019, Colgate-Palmolive notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to take over Laboratoires Filorga Cosmétiques . By a decision issued (...)

Telecoms* The Autorité closes the ex officio proceedings it had started to ensure compliance with the commitments concerning the sale of Completel’s DSL network made by Altice France when it acquired SFR. The Autorité considers that there is no evidence to characterise Altice France’s (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Iliad 7 by Cellnex* By this transaction, Iliad (Free) sells all the towers of its mobile network to the Spanish company Cellnex, which, from now on, will rent them to Iliad. On 8 August 2019, Cellnex notified the Autorité of its plan (...)

Clothing and shoes* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of the group De Fursac by the group SMCP (Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot) On 24 July 2019, the group SMCP (Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot brands) notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to take over the (...)

Professional football* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of OGC Nice by Ineos On 22 July 2019, Ineos notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to acquire control of SASP Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice Côte d’Azur, which manages the OGC Nice football club. By (...)

Pay Television Sector* The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the creation of the Salto platform by TF1, France Télévisions and Métropole Télévision (M6) Background Following a referral decision by the European Commission, TF1, France Télévisions and Métropole (...)

Online payment* The Autorité de la concurrence rejects, in the absence of solid evidence, the referral filed by the online content hosting service Dstorage (1fichier.com) regarding practices of several companies in the payment methods sector, notably the Groupement des Cartes Bancaires, Visa (...)

Following Decision No 18-D-26 of 20 December 2018 on practices implemented in the sector of marketing liquid fertilisers for above-ground production for domestic use, the Competition Authority is penalising Agrotechniek BV, C.I.S and Hydro Factory/Hydro Logistique, companies active in the (...)

Agricultural cooperatives* The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to several conditions, the merger of agricultural cooperatives D’Aucy and Triskalia Background Agricultural and agrifood cooperative groups D’Aucy and Triskalia notified the Autorité de la concurrence of their (...)

Magazines* The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the acquisition of Mondadori France (Biba, Grazia, Modes & Travaux) by Reworld Media (Marie France, Maison & Travaux, Auto Moto) Background Press group Reworld Media notified the Autorité of its planned (...)

Under the terms of this Decision, the Competition Authority rejects the referral of the case against the Coopérative Carburant d’Intérêt Régional Public Privé (CCIRPP) on the grounds of lack of sufficient evidence and, consequently, the request for interim protective measures ancillary to its (...)

Jewellery industry* The Autorité clears the acquisitions of Mauboussin and Guérin Joaillerie by Galeries Lafayette and La Compagnie Financière Nemarq & Co Background The Autorité de la concurrence approves the acquisition of joint control by the group Galeries Lafayette and La (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears without conditions the acquisition of Nature & Découvertes by Fnac Darty* Background On 19 June 2019, Fnac Darty notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its intention to acquire Nature & Découvertes. At the end of its competitive analysis, (...)

Cooperation between regulators* Seven regulators publish the fruit of their common approach to data-driven regulation Data-driven regulation, an additional tool for regulators In this era of unceasing innovation, regulators rely more and more on the collection, utilisation and (...)

Distribution of raw materials and equipment to bakers* The Autorité hands down fines to the cooperative Back Europ for having organised, on the whole of France, a geographical market distribution between its members. L’essentiel The Autorité hands down fines to the cooperative Back Europ (...)

Fighting the high cost of living in French overseas territories* The Autorité delivers a general diagnosis of competition in the French overseas territories. There have been positive developments since the 2009 opinion, particularly in the telecoms sector. However, consumer prices paid (...)

Dawn raids* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the sector of crystal components distribution. Following authorization from the liberty and custody judge, the investigation services of the Autorité de la (...)

Online bicycle sales* The Autorité de la concurrence has fined Bikeurope for having prohibited its authorised retailers from selling its bicycles online Background Following documents sent by the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (...)

Bailiffs* The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Bureau Commun de Signification of bailiffs from the département Hauts-de-Seine for anticompetitive agreement. Background The Autorité issues today a decision sanctioning the Bureau commun de signification of Hauts-de-Seine (joint bureau (...)

Estate negotiation/notaries* The Autorité de la concurrence fines GIE Notimo and the chambre interdépartementale des notaires de Franche-Comté for anticompetitive practices. Background The law of 6 August 2015, socalled "Macron law" which has reformed regulated professions in order to (...)

Cardboard sector* In part of commitments that are conditions for the European Commission’s approval of the acquisition of Europac by DS Smith, the Autorité de la concurrence gives clearance to International Paper Company to acquirethe two Normandy plants of DS Smith Packaging Normandie On (...)

The Autorité has fined the companies bioMérieux and Guyane Service Médical for continuing to implement an exclusive import agreement, after the Lurel Act came into force.* Following information submitted by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, the Autorité issues a new decision (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence launches a thematic study on trade union and professional bodies* The directive No. 2019/1 (known as "ECN +"), published in the OJEU on 14 January 2019, aims to provide competition authorities with the means to implement the competition rules more effectively (...)

Broadcasting rights for catalogue French films* The Autorité de la concurrence dismisses the case brought by the Canal Plus Group against the practices of TF1, France Télévisions, and M6 on priority and pre-emption rights for French-language films. The Canal Plus Group was claiming that (...)

Engineering, IT services and software publishing* The Akka technologies Group is fined a total of 900 000 euros for obstructing the conduct of inspections made by the Autorité On 8 November 2018, the Autorité de la concurrence have raided the premises of companies and organisations in the (...)

Poultry industry* The Autorité de la concurrence gives clearance to the takeover of poultry slaughterhouses Les Volailles Rémi Ramon and Sofral by the LDC group (Le Gaulois, Maître Coq et Fermiers de Loué), which contributes to strengthening the French poultry sector. Background The (...)

Clothing and footwear* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of the company The Kooples Group by the group Maus Frères (Lacoste, Aigle and Gant) On 17 April 2019, the group Maus Frères notified the Autorité de la concurrence his project of taking over the company The Kooples (...)

Metalworking industry* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of the Ascoval company by the British Steel group. After the decision of the Strasbourg General court of first instance of 2 May 2019, which validated the takeover of the steel plant Ascoval by the British Steel (...)

Automotive aftermarket* The Autorité de la concurrence dismisses the complaint filed by several garage owners against Hyundai The complaint filed by the garage owners Three car garages referred a case to the Autorité de la concurrence regarding practices that would have been implemented (...)

Future connection Gare de l’Est - Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport* The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the creation by RATP Dev and Keolis of a joint undertaking for the operation of CDG Express On 29 November 2018, the companies RATP Dev and Keolis notified the (...)

Television advertising* Following the referral of M6 regarding practices of TF1 Publicité, the Autorité de la concurrence dismisses the case. The complaint of M6 regarding TF1 Publicité In its referral, M6 denounced the discount and matching practices implemented by TF1 Publicité in the (...)

Modernization of merger control* The decree regarding the simplification of the national merger control procedure to the Autorité de la concurrence entered into force On 20 April 2019, the decree regarding the simplification of the national merger control procedure to the Autorité de la (...)

Freedom of establishment for bailiffs and judicial auctioneers* In accordance with the Law of 6 August 2015 (also known as the « Macron Law »), the Autorité de la concurrence is launching public consultations to prepare two new opinions on the freedom of establishment for bailiffs and (...)

Extension of the Bordeaux tram* The Autorité de la concurrence rejects the referral filed by the communauté urbaine de Bordeaux (Bordeaux metropolitan area) in the absence of solid evidence. The complaint lodged by the communauté urbaine de Bordeaux The communauté urbaine de Bordeaux (...)

Distribution of toys* The Autorité de la concurrence innovates by analyzing the online and in-store sales of toys as a single market. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of joint control of Luderix International (Picwic) by Jellej Jouets (Toys’R’Us) and by the undivided (...)

"High living costs" in the French overseas departments and regions* In an opinion issued at the request of the French government, the Autorité examines the price increase system of notaries and court bailiffs in the overseas departments and regions. The Autorité suggests to review in depth (...)

Dawn raids* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the wine and spirits sector. Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, the investigation services of the Autorité de la concurrence have (...)

4 April: Distribution of medicinal products and biomedical laboratories: the Autorité delivers its opinion* After several months of investigation and a large public consultation, the Autorité de la concurrence releases the findings of its healthcare sector inquiry. The medicinal product (...)

Transport by taxi* The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Economic Interest Group (EIG) of Antibes Juan-les-Pins’ taxis for anticompetitive agreements. The radio-taxi EIG of Antibes Juan-les-Pins is an association gathering the majority of the city’s self-employed taxi drivers. Its main (...)

Electricity tariffs* The Autorité de la concurrence advises against increasing regulated retail tariffs without first clarifying their purpose. Having been informed on 27 February 2019, by the French Minister of the Economy, of the French government’s intention to change the level of the (...)

Audiovisual sector* On 18 March 2019, the European Commission referred to the Autorité de la concurrence the examination of the creation of Salto, a joint venture of the France Télévisions, Métropole Télévision and TF1 groups. Salto is intended to offer the free-to-air DTT channels (live (...)

Distribution of motor vehicles* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of joint control of the company Bernard Participations SAS by the company Emil Frey Motors France and the company Fiber. This transaction led the Autorité to review its method for analysing mergers in the (...)

Wine and spirits* The Autorité de la concurrence clears - subject to conditions - the acquisition of the group Marie Brizard On 3 January 2019, the Compagnie Financière Européenne de Prises de Participation (“Cofepp”) notified the Autorité de la concurrence its intention to acquire sole (...)

Temporary work sector*The Autorité closes the case opened at its own initiative regarding practices implemented in the temporary work sector Following dawn raids, the Autorité de la concurrence started proceedings ex officio in May 2015 relating to a possible set of practices that was (...)

Audiovisual sector* In the context of the reform of the audiovisual sector, the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Education of the French National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) referred this matter to the Autorité de la concurrence, which today delivers its opinion. In the face of the (...)

Dawn raids* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the sector of engineering, maintenance, decommissioning and waste treatment services for nuclear installations Following authorisation from the liberty and (...)

Pay TV in French overseas departments and regions* The Autorité de la concurrence has re-examined the commitments made by Canal+ International as part of the take-over of Mediaserv (now Canal+ Telecom) in 2014. Certain obligations have been maintained to preserve the competitive dynamic. (...)

Online advertising by directory enquiry services* The Autorité de la concurrence has ordered interim measures against Google. Google will need to quickly clarify the rules for its Google Ads online advertising platform that apply to electronic paid information services in order to make (...)

Confection and marketing of baking aids* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Alsa by Dr. Oetker (Ancel) by approving a commitment which addresses in advance competition issues (“fix-it-first” commitment), by granting a credible market player a license for the Ancel (...)

DTT Broadcasting* The Autorité de la concurrence is in favour of extending ex-ante regulation of the upstream wholesale DTT broadcasting services market by three years. Background Following a referral by the French Telecommunications Regulator (ARCEP), the Autorité de la concurrence (...)

Dawn raids* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the luxury watch retail sector Following authorisation from the liberty and custody judge, the investigation services of the Autorité de la concurrence have (...)

Publication of the ECN + directive: a new step for the European competition policy* The Autorité welcomes the publication of the ECN + directive to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers. Background Directive n° (UE) 2019/1 to empower the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence announces its priorities for 2019* The Autorité has defined several priority actions for 2019. Further, it has committed to an extensive strategic review exercise of its legal framework and methods of operation. SECTORS AND LINES OF ACTION Digital sector (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the creation of the Cash Paris Tax Refund company by Global Blue and Planet Payment* A transaction referred by the European Commission On 21 August 2018, the European Commission referred to the Autorité de la concurrence the (...)

The Autorité hands down fines for anticompetitive practices to several producers and wholesale distributors of liquid fertilisers.* Why are vertical pricing agreements forbidden in competition law? Competition law generally forbids horizontal (between competitors) and vertical agreements (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence hands down fines worth a total of €189 million to six household appliance manufacturers, among the largest in the sector, notably for having agreed on price increases * Background Following evidence provided by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, (...)

The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out yesterday in the sectors of engineering and technology consulting, IT services and software publishing* Following authorization from the liberty and custody judge, the (...)

Freedom of establishment of lawyers at the French Administrative Supreme Court and the French Supreme Court* The Autorité de la concurrence issues an opinion on the freedom of establishment of lawyers at the French Administrative Supreme Court and the French Supreme Court. To improve (...)

Online retail of outdoor power equipment* The Autorité de la concurrence fines the manufacturer Stihl 7 million euros for having prevented its authorized distributors from selling its products online Background Following an investigative report from the DGCCRF, the Autorité de la (...)

Exclusive distribution of consumer goods in Wallis-and-Futuna* The Autorité de la concurrence has fined the wholesaler-importer General Import its parent company for continuing to implement exclusive import agreements, after the Lurel Act came into force. The "Lurel Act" has banned any (...)

Building materials in La Réunion and Mayotte* Finding major price discrepancies with Mainland France, the Autorité is issuing an opinion to the government, in which it makes several recommendations As part of the fight against high living costs, the French Minister for Economy and Finance (...)

Public lighting in Ardèche* The Autorité de la concurrence has fined a company in Ardèche for entering into agreements with competitors to secure public procurement contracts Following an investigation by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (...)

Registering to the Limoges Bar Association* The Autorité de la concurrence closes the case referred to it by AGN Avocats. The company AGN Avocats lodged a complaint with the Autorité relating to a set of practices that is alleged to have been adopted by the Limoges Bar Association Council (...)

Management of infectious medical waste generated by healthcare activities* The Autorité de la concurrence has fined the company Sanicorse for increasing abruptly, significantly, durably and in an unjustified manner the waste disposal prices it charged hospitals and clinics in Corsica. The (...)

Management of infectious medical waste generated by healthcare activities* The Autorité de la concurrence has fined the company Sanicorse for increasing abruptly, significantly, durably and in an unjustified manner the waste disposal prices it charged hospitals and clinics in Corsica. The (...)

Tobacco sector* The Autorité de la concurrence closes the investigation it had opened in the tobacco sector On 23 January, following authorization from the liberty and custody judge, the Investigation Services of the Autorité de la concurrence raided the premises of companies suspected of (...)

Retailing of gardening products* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Jardiland group by InVivo group (Gamm Vert, Delbard) subject to divestiture of 11 stores Parties to the transaction On 29 June 2018, InVivo Retail group, a subsidiary of InVivo cooperative union, (...)

Distribution in Martinique* The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the acquisition by Bernard Hayot Group of a Géant Casino hypermarket in Martinique On 20 June 2018, Bernard Hayot Group (‘BHG’) notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its planned acquisition of a (...)

Freedom of establishment for notaries: proposed map for 2018-2020* The process of gradually opening up the notarial profession is producing encouraging results and must continue. Pursuant to the “Macron Law”, the Autorité is making new recommendations to encourage the gradual establishment (...)

Fnac’s acquisition of Darty* The Autorité de la concurrence fines Fnac Darty Group €20 million for failing to divest itself of three stores, which was the pre-condition for clearance of the transaction. The Autorité also orders Fnac Darty to divest itself of two stores in lieu of those (...)

Distribution of veterinary medicinal products* The Autorité de la concurrence fines wholesale distributors of veterinary medicinal products and their professional association nearly 16 million euros for anticompetitive practices The Autorité de la concurrence, which began proceedings ex (...)

State aid: Commission approves French support for tidal energy demonstration plant Raz Blanchard* The European Commission has found a French project promoting electricity generation from tidal energy to be in line with EU State aid rules. The measure will contribute further the EU’s energy (...)

Satellite Pay TV* The Autorité de la concurrence makes the commitments of Groupe Canal Plus binding, leaving its subscribers free to choose their TV decoder to watch its programmes. The complaint A satellite decoder manufacturer lodged a complaint with the Autorité de la concurrence (...)

Law firms* The Autorité de la concurrence rejects the request for interim measures filed by the company AGN Avocats relating to practices implemented by the Toulouse Bar Association, but pursues the investigation into the merits of the case. The company AGN Avocats Développement, (...)

Audiovisual sector* The Autorité de la concurrence has been asked for an opinion in the audiovisual sector by the Commission of Cultural Affairs and Education (Commission des Affaires culturelles et de l’Education) of the National Assembly The Commission of Cultural Affairs and Education (...)

French overseas territories* The Autorité de la concurrence has been asked for an opinion by the Government regarding the import and distribution of consumer goods in the French overseas departments The Ministry of Finance and Economy submitted a request, on behalf of the Government, to (...)

Temporary employment sector* The Autorité de la concurrence fines Randstad 4.5 million euros for non-compliance with certain commitments undertaken in 2009 The Autorité de la concurrence today issues a decision imposing a joint fine on companies Groupe Randstad France SAS, Randstad SAS, (...)

Acquisition of William Saurin* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition Financière Cofigeo of certain securities and assets of the ready meals arm of Agripole group (William Saurin, Panzani, Garbit) subject to two targeted divestments designed to maintain competition in the (...)

Acquisition of William Saurin - Reaction of the Autorité after the Minister of Economy’s decision* The Autorité de la concurrence acknowledges the decision of the Minister of Economy and Finance to use its power to reexamine the operation, cleared by the Autorité today regarding the (...)

Modernization and simplification of merger control* The Autorité de la concurrence announces several measures aimed at streamlining and simplifying mergers’ procedures for companies. Last October, the Autorité launched a reflective process aimed at modernizing and simplifying merger law. (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Syndicat général des vignerons réunis des Côtes du Rhône (the professional syndicate of Côte du Rhône winemakers) for an anticompetitive agreement* Based on a report submitted by the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs (...)

RETAIL OF DOMESTIC ELECTRICAL GOODS IN THE FRENCH OVERSEAS DEPARTMENTS* The autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of the Dimeco society (connection , Circuit Ménager) bu the Cafom Group (But and Darty) Parties to the transaction On 18 April 2018, the Cafom group notified the (...)

Agricultural sector* Following a referral by the government, the Autorité de la Concurrence has issued an opinion that clarifies the conditions for application of competition law in the agricultural sector Background During the French National Food Conference (États généraux de (...)

Online advertising* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Aufeminin by TF1 On 16 March 2018, TF1 notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its acquisition of sole control of Aufeminin. Following the consultation of competitors and TF1’s clients along with an analysis of (...)

FOOTWEAR DISTRIBUTION* The Autorité de la concurrence clears two separate acquisitions but which raise similar questions: Sarenza by Monoprix (Casino group) André by Spartoo On 16 March Monoprix, and subsequently on 4 April 2018, Spartoo notified the Autorité de la concurrence of two (...)

Freedom of establishment for notaries* In compliance with the Law of 6 August 2015 for Growth, Activity and Equal Economic Opportunities (known as the “Macron Law”), the Autorité de la concurrence launches a public consultation in order to prepare the new Opinion on the freedom of (...)

The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence indicates that unannounced inspections have been carried out in the road freight transport sector* Following authorization from the liberty and custody judge, the Investigation Services of the Autorité de la concurrence have raided (...)

Anticompetitive agreements in the tobacconist security provision sector in the Isère département* The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Sécurité Vol Feu company Following an investigation carried out by the General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (...)

Sale of agricultural tractors* The Autorité closes the investigation against agricultural tractor manufacturers John Deere and AGCO (Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Laverda and Valtra). It has ensured that the manufacturers change their commercial practices in respect of dealers in order to (...)

Sector-specific investigation into online advertising* The Autorité de la concurrence has made public its opinion in which it analyses a very complex market characterised by a fragile competitive equilibrium. Given the concerns of stakeholders in the sector, the General Rapporteur announced (...)

For the first time, the Autorité de la concurrence has examined the merger of two online platforms. After an in-depth examination, the Autorité unconditionally clears the acquisition of Concept Multimédia (Logic-Immo.com) by the Axel Springer Group (SeLoger.com)* Parties to the transaction (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines Brenntag 30 million euros for obstructing the investigation* The Autorité today publishes a decision by which it fines the Brenntag SA (hereinafter « Brenntag ») and Brenntag AG companies for having infringed the provisions of V of article L. 464-2 of the (...)

Collection and recovery of non-hazardous office waste sector* In an unprecedented move, the Autorité de la concurrence closes a litigation procedure, and on the same day, clears a merger involving the same activity. The Autorité obtained commitments from La Poste regarding the promotion, (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence imposes a fine of 25 million euros on Janssen-Cilag laboratory and its parent company Johnson & Johnson for having first prevented then restricted the development of generic versions of Durogesic, its originator medicinal product.* Background Following a (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has cleared, subject to several conditions, the acquisition of the Bricorama group by ITM Équipement de la Maison (Bricomarché, Brico Cash)* Parties to the transaction On 18 October 2017, ITM Équipement de la Maison, a subsidiary of ITM Entreprises, which (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of stores owned by the Tati group (Tati, Fabio Lucci, Giga Store) by Gifi (GPG group), subject to a number of conditions* Parties to the transaction On 12 June 2017, the GPG group (retailer Gifi) notified the Autorité de la concurrence (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of La Martinière Groupe (Le Seuil, Points, etc.) by Médias-Participations (Dargaud, Dupuis, etc.).* On 13 November 2017, the Média-Participations group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its project to acquire sole control of La (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to commitments, the merger of Coopérative agricole des Agriculteurs de la Mayenne (CAM) with Terrena* Parties to the operation On 30 October 2017, the parties notified the Autorité de la concurrence of their intention to merge through a (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has initiated an in-depth examination of the planned acquisition by Financière Cofigeo of certain securities and assets of the Agripole group’s Ready Meals division (William Saurin, Panzani and Garbit)* On 12 June 2017, Financière Cofigeo notified the Autorité (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence rejects the referral filed by the Musée de Montmartre against the InterMusées association.* The association Inter-Musées is a collective of several museums in the Ile-de-France region. It markets the « Paris Museum Pass » which gives access to these museums (...)

As part of its advisory powers, the Autorité de la concurrence is launching a vast sector-specific inquiry on the functioning of competition in the medicinal products and medical biology sectors.* In particular it will look at the distribution of pharmaceuticals, their price regulation (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Gibert Jeune’s activity by Gibert Joseph* Parties to the operation On 9 May 2017, Gibert Joseph notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its intention to take control of Gibert Jeune. This acquisition comes within the scope of the (...)

The Autorité has imposed sanctions totalling €302 million on the three leading manufacturers of PVC and linoleum floor covering, as a penalty for price fixing among other pratices.* Background Acting on information submitted by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer (...)

WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR* The European Commission has referred the review of the creation of a joint venture between the La Poste and Suez groups, in the waste management sector The European Commission referred the review of the creation of a joint venture between the La Poste and Suez (...)

Funeral services in the Ain département* The Autorité de la concurrence funeral company Comtet that, at the time of the alleged events, was running the crematorium in the town of Viriat in the département of the Ain under a public service franchise agreement with the municipal council, for (...)

Exclusive distribution of dessert products in La Réunion and Mayotte* The Autorité de la concurrence fines Materne and its wholesaler-importer for continuing to implement an exclusive import agreement after the “Lurel Act” came into force. The “Lurel Act” bans any exclusive import (...)

Sugar production / Picardie* Tereos takes commitments under the French competition authority that it will open up its procurement contracts. Sugar beet growers will benefit from greater freedom to choose the sugar groups that they want to supply. The complaint by Saint-Louis Sucre (...)

ONLINE PROPERTY ADVERTISING* The Autorité de la concurrence has begun an in-depth examination as part of the review of the take-over of Concept Multimédia (Logic-Immo.com) by the Axel Springer group (SeLoger.com) The Axel Springer group, which is active mainly on the online property (...)

Online advertising* As part of its current sector-specific inquiry on online advertising, the Autorité de la concurrence has launched a public consultation in order to collect stakeholder comments on several points. Stakeholders are asked to reply to the questionnaire sent out by the (...)

The Autorité de la Concurrence clears the acquisition of Groupe News Participations by SFR Group * Parties to the operation On 6 April 2017, the SFR Group notified the Autorité de la Concurrence that it was increasing its holding in Groupe News Participations (hereafter “GNP”), thus taking (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence examines the state of competition in the coach transport sector and dismisses the complaint lodged by TRANSDEV against SNCF* Having been referred to by TRANSDEV GROUP (TRANSDEV) regarding practices implemented by the SNCF group in the intercity coach transport (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence issues an opinion to ARCEP (France’s Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority), in the framework of the fifth cycle of analysis of the fixed broadband and superfast broadband wholesale markets.* The Autorité de la concurrence agrees with most (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of full control of the cured meats’ division of Financière Turenne Lafayette (Paul Prédault, Madrange…) by Coorperl Arc Atlantique (Brocéliande)* Parties to the operation On 4 May 2017, Cooperl Arc Atlantique (VériTable, L’atout prix or (...)

RESTAURANT SECTOR* As part of group Flo’s takeover by group Bertrand, the Autorité de la concurrence considered the case under merger control. The Autorité has authorized the transaction for which the agreement protocols have to be approved by Nanterre’s commercial court. Group Bertrand (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines ENGIE 100 million euros for abusing its dominant position by using in particular its historical data file to convert its customers on regulated gas tariffs to market-based contracts for gas and electricity.* Furthermore, in another case regarding ENGIE (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines Obut for having obliged its dealers to charge suggested retail prices.* Background The Autorité has fined the leading French manufacturer of petanque balls for having abused its dominant position by imposing a pricing policy on some of its (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence conducts an initial intermediary assessment of the commitments made by Booking.com.* The Autorité has not ruled out the possibility of issuing an opinion at its own initiative if the change in competition so requires, and is actively contributing to all of the (...)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION HAS REFERRED THE REVIEW OF THE ACQUISITION OF MÉDIPÔLE-PARTENAIRES BY ELSAN BACK TO THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE* On 31 January 2017, the European Commission has referred the review of the acquisition of sole control of Médipôle-Partenaires by Elsan, two private (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE CLEARS THE ACQUISITION OF SHINE FRANCE BY THE ENDEMOL SHINE GROUP * On 2 February 2017, Endemol Shine notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its planned acquisition of sole control of the company Shine France which, prior to the transaction, it controlled (...)

Freedom of establishment for bailiffs and judicial auctioneers - Application of the Framework resulting from the "Macron Law" of 6 August 2015* The Autorité de la Concurrence has drawn up maps showing where new offices could be located for bailiffs and judicial auctioneers It recommends the (...)

Sector-wide Inquiry on Hearing Aids- the Autorité’s Findings* The Autorité recommends separating the initial purchase of the hearing aid (including immediate fitting and setting during the first year) from the purchase of subsequent follow-up services. It also proposes removing the (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE CLEARS METRO’S ACQUISITION OF COLRUYT FRANCE (PRO-À-PRO)* On 28 November 2016, the European Commission referred the review of the acquisition of Colruyt France SAS (“Colruyt France”) by Metro AG (“Metro) back to the Autorité de la concurrence (see note on (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence, whose opinion has been sought regarding a draft decree and regulation, has reservations concerning the suitability of implementing a subsidy for demand response operators* If the government still decides to retain the mechanism, the Autorité has several (...)

The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence confirms that unannounced inspections were carried out on 22 November in the sector of energy services and energy supply* On 22 November 2016, following information that has appeared in the press - which does not come from the (...)

Land available for development* The Autorité de la concurrence recommends providing professionals and private individuals with improved access to information on the prices of lands for development. It welcomes the recent measures taken to improve cost transparency within the sector and (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Altice group 80 million euros for the premature completion of two mergers notified in 2014* The Autorité de la concurrence issued a decision today to fine jointly Altice Luxembourg and SFR Group 80 million euros, in application of Section II of (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE CLEARS THE MERGER BETWEEN SICAVYM AND SICAREV, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS* Parties to the operation On 4 November 2016, the agricultural cooperatives Sicarev and Sicavyl, mainly active in the meat sector, notified the Autorité de la concurrence of their intended (...)

Freedom of Establishment for lawyers at the French Administrative Supreme Court and the French Supreme Court* The Autorité de la concurrence issues an opinion on the freedom of establishment for lawyers at the French Administrative Supreme Court and French Supreme Court. In order to (...)

The Autorité fines for anticompetitive agreement the modelling sector’s main professional union and 37 modelling agencies* In brief The Autorité de la concurrence today issues a decision under which it fines the main professional union of modelling agencies, the SYNAM, for having, (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE CLEARS THE ACQUISITION OF THE BAZARCHIC BY THE GALERIES LAFAYETTE GROUP* The Galeries Lafayette group notified the Autorité de la Concurrence on 27 September 2016 of its intention to acquire the Bazarchic Company. After considering the transaction’s effects on (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of Agri-Négoce by Axéréal Participations, subject to commitments* On 21 April 2016, the company Axéréal Participations, subsidy of the farming cooperative Axéréal, notified the Autorité de la concurrence of the (...)

The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence states that unannounced inspections were carried out on September 15 in the sector of manufacturing and distribution of sandwiches intended to food supermarkets.* On September 15th, following authorisation from the liberty and custody (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE CLEARS THE ACQUISITION OF AÉROPORTS DE LYON BY VINCI AIRPORTS, SUBJECT TO COMMITMENTS* On 6 September 2016, Vinci Airports, a subsidiary of the Vinci group, notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its acquisition of sole control of Aéroports de Lyon, the (...)

Liquid fuel backup heating units* The Autorité de la concurrence fines both PVG and Ligne Plus suppliers for anticompetitive agreement on wholesale prices and sharing of customer base (horizontal agreement). Besides, both suppliers are fined for having set distributors’ resale prices to (...)

Hearing aids* As part of its investigation on the hearing aids sector, the Autorité de la concurrence launches a public consultation on its mid-point assessment today. The Autorité encourages the sector’s players to express their opinion on the competition issues identified. Interested (...)

RETAILING OF "BROWN" AND "GREY" PRODUCTS* The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to the divestiture of 6 stores in Paris and the Parisian region, the acquisition of the Darty company by the Fnac group On 17 February 2016, the Fnac group notified its project to take over Darty to (...)

Hotel booking platforms* The Autorité de la concurrence launches, in collaboration with 9 national competition authorities and the European Commission, a survey among hoteliers in order to assess the effects of the remedies implemented in Europe in the hotel booking platforms sector. (...)

Exclusive distribution of consumer goods in overseas territories – Settlement* Within the framework of a settlement between all the parties, the Autorité de la concurrence fines Henkel and its wholesaler-importers in several overseas departments €600,000. In brief The Autorité de la (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Foncière de Paris by Gecina* The Gecina company has notified on 26 May 2016 its intention to acquire the Foncière de Paris company. Gecina is a real estate investment company listed on Euronext Paris’ Eurolist. It operates in the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines UMICORE, one of the global leaders in zinc, €69 million for abuse of dominant position towards its competitors by practicing during 9 years a trade policy aiming at constraining its distributors to supply themselves exclusively from the company* In brief (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence considers that the conditions are not currently satisfied to lift the ban on exclusive broadcasting of premium sports channels pronounced on Canal Plus. * The Autorité will engage, during the upcoming twelve months, in an in-depth work in dialogue with all the (...)

Proposed map of progressive establishment of new notarial offices* The Autorité de la concurrence identifies, on a total of 307 areas throughout the territory, 247 areas where it would be beneficial to create notarial offices, which would also lead to enhanced territorial coverage. It (...)

DTT broadcasting* The Autorité de la concurrence fines TDF 20.6 million Euros for abusive intervention with the municipalities aimed at hindering the establishment of its competitors. Besides, the Autorité has fined a loyalty rebate system encouraging TV channels to use TDF’s services for (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence begins, at its own initiative, gathering information in order to assess data processing in the on-line advertising sector* The Autorité has decided, at its own initiative, to gather information with a view to assessing competition in the internet advertising (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence issues an unfavourable opinion on the draft decree establishing a code of ethics for nurses.* In brief Following a referral from the French Ministry of Health, the Autorité de la concurrence has issued major reservations regarding several provisions in the (...)

The French Autorité de la concurrence and the German Bundeskartellamt publish joint paper on data and its implications for Competition Law* The increasing collection, processing and commercial use of data in digital markets has prompted a broad debate about the role of data in corporate (...)

National competition authorities from the European Union publish report on information requirements for merger notification in Europe* This tool will facilitate companies’ notifications of cross-border transactions in multiple jurisdictions Highlights The EU Merger Working Group has (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence issues several urgent interim measures on Engie so that the price of some of its market offers to business customers reflects its costs.* In brief Last October, Direct Enrgie made a referral to the Autorité de la concurrence. In particular it reported that (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence issues an unfavourable opinion to the government.* The envisaged "good practice" create a discriminatory system in comparison with the conditions required for over-the-counter sales, removing all interest in the sale medicinal products on the Internet, both for (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of joint control of the Aqualande Group by Labeyrie together with the agricultural cooperative Les Aquaculteurs Landais, subject to commitments* On 21 January 2016, Labeyrie and Les Aquaculteurs Landais notified the Autorité de la (...)

Overseas Mobile Telephony* The Autorité de la concurrence fines Altice/Numericable group for non-compliance with some of the commitments linked to the divestiture of Outremer Telecom’s mobile telephony business made at the time of its acquisition of SFR. Having observed the non-compliance (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE IS OPENING A PHASE 2 EXAMINATION OF THE ACQUISITION OF THE DARTY COMPANY BY THE FNAC GROUP* On 17 February 2016, the Fnac group notified the Autorité of its proposed acquisition of the Darty company. Under its examination of the case, and following an initial (...)

Counsels at the French Administrative Supreme Court (Conseil d’Etat)and the French Supreme Court (Cour de cassation)* In application of the "Macron law", the Autorité de la concurrence is launching a public consultation in the context of the drafting of an opinion on the freedom of (...)

Notaries, bailiffs and judicial auctioneers* In application of the "Macron law", the Autorité de la concurrence is launching a public consultation in the context of the drafting of an opinion on the freedom of establishment of notaries, bailiffs and judicial auctioneers. This opinion will (...)

The Autorité publishes three opinions regarding the ways in which driver licence tests are organized. * In particular, the Autorité has expressed a mitigated opinion over the methods used to allocate test places among driving schools. The Autorité de la concurrence today publishes three (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence publishes the opinions it issued to the government following yesterday’s publication of the decree on the rates of certain law professionals.* Following publication in the Official Journal of the French Republic (JORF) of 28 February 2016 of Decree 2016-230 of (...)

Fire safety systems equipping businesses and buildings receiving the public* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence states that unannounced inspections were carried out on February 18th in the sector of fire safety systems equipping businesses and buildings receiving the (...)

The Autorité has published its evaluation report on the legal mechanism providing regulated access to incumbent nuclear electricity (hereinafter ARENH), and an opinion on the decree concerning regulated sales tariffs (hereinafter TRVs), as well as two opinions on plans to phase out TRVs on (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence shall begin, at its own initiative, gathering information in order to assess the state of competition within in the hearing aid retail sector, before publishing any recommendations it considers necessary in order to improve the situation.* Having observed low (...)

AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE AUTHORISES THE MERGER BETWEEN THE CHARENTES ALLIANCE AND CORÉA COOPERATIVES* On December 23rd 2015, the Charentes Alliance and Coréa cooperatives notified the Autorité that their organisations were planning to merge. Having undertaken a detailed analysis of the (...)

Passenger coach stations* Following the opening up of the passenger coach transport market last summer, the Autorité welcomes the government adoption of an ordinance overhauling the regulatory framework of coach stations and granting the sector regulator, the ARAFER, the range of (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE CLEARS THE ACQUISITION OF JOINT CONTROL OF NEWEN BY TF1 AND FIFL* On 27 November 2015, TF1 and FIFL notified the Autorité de la concurrence of the acquisition of joint control of the FLCP (Fabrice Larue Capital Partners) Group, for which the principal company, (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE HAS DECIDED TO OPEN AN IN-DEPTH EXAMINATION OF THE ACQUISITION OF THE METROBUS GROUP BY THE JCDECAUX GROUP * On 23 November 2015, JCDecaux SA notified the Autorité of its proposed acquisition of the Régie Publicitaire des Transports Parisiens Metrobus Publicité (...)

TELEVISION/AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of Newen by TF1 On 21 January 2016, the Autorité de la concurrence cleared the acquisition of joint control of Newen, which produces programmes broadcasted on television such as the (...)

RETAILING SECTOR* The Autorité de la concurrence has decided to open an in-depth examination regarding the de facto merger of Auchan and System U. Auchan and System U groups have notified the Autorité de la concurrence of their merger project on December 30th 2015, after a referral of the (...)

The Autorité has published the opinion issued to the Government on the implementation of the Le.taxi platform* Following publication of the texts launching the Le.taxi service, the Autorité de la concurrence has published the opinion it issued to the Government. Subject to compliance with (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines Orange 350 million euros for having abusively hindered the development of competition in the business market since the early 2000s. The Autorité also takes action to restore market competition for the benefit of business clients* In brief After (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence is in favour of fishing quota reforms leading to fairer and more efficient methods of quota allocation* Overview Cobrenord, a maritime cooperative, sought the opinion of the Autorité de la concurrence on the allocation mechanisms currently used to attribute (...)

Delivery service (transporting parcels) industry* Today, the Autorité de la concurrence issues a decision by which it fines two anticompetitive agreements in the delivery service industry for a total amount of 672.3 million euros: The principal agreement in question has been subject to a (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Quick by Burger King, subject to commitments.* On 4 November 2015, Burger King France notified to the Autorité de la concurrence the acquisition of sole control of the Quick group. Burger King France operates a network of thirty (...)

Launch of a public consultation by the European Commission* The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how to ensure that national competition authorities effectively enforce competition law. The Autorité de la concurrence invites all relevant stakeholders to contribute (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines SFR and its subsidiary in La Réunion 10.7 million euros for implementing abusive practices on the “business” market.* In brief The Autorité de la concurrence issues today a decision in which it fines SFR and SRR, SFR’s subsidiary in La Réunion, a total (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Le Parisien and Aujourd’hui en France by the LVMH Group* The Autorité de la concurrence has reviewed the acquisition of sole control of the publishing and marketing activities of Le Parisien and its nationwide version Aujourd’hui en (...)

Under the new procedure initiated by the CSA, the Autorité de la concurrence has issued a second opinion concerning the competitive impact of the switchover to free DTT by the LCI, Paris Première and Planète + pay TV channels* The Autorité releases an opinion issued today to the CSA (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE CLEARS THE ACQUISITION OF JOINT CONTROL OF OUTREMER TELECOM’S MOBILE ACTIVITIES BY ILIAD ALONGSIDE HIRIDJEE* The Autorité de la concurrence has reviewed the acquisition by Iliad of 50% of the capital of the company Telecom Reunion Mayotte, which will henceforth (...)

SFR/Bouygues Telecom agreement to deploy fibre in very densely populated areas* Following a complaint made by Bouygues Telecom, the Autorité de la concurrence has opened ex officio proceedings to review the conditions under which Numericable complies with its commitments made in relation to (...)

Processed fruits packaged in cups and pouches – dawn raids* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence states that unannounced inspections were carried out on September 22nd in the sector of processed fruits packaged in cups and pouches On 22 September 2015, following (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to commitments, the acquisition of Audika by William Demant.* On 28 May 2015, the William Demant group notified the Autorité de la concurrence of the acquisition of sole control of the Audika group. William Demant, one of the main (...)

Distribution of consumer goods in the French overseas territories* The Autorité de la concurrence has obtained from several mainland manufacturers their commitment to put an end to the exclusive distribution of their products in the French overseas territories and to implement a competitive (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence will review the acquisition of Davigel by Bain Capital* The European Commission has referred back to the Autorité de la concurrence a new merger case that would normally have fallen within its jurisdiction: the acquisition of Davigel (frozen products and ice (...)

The European Commission has referred the examination of two major merger cases back to the Autorité de la concurrence* The European Commission has referred back to the Autorité de la concurrence two merger cases that would normally have fallen within its jurisdiction: the alliance agreement (...)

Extension of the commitments made by the Groupement des Cartes Bancaires (CB Bank Cards Group) to the Autorité de la concurrence regarding the level of inter-bank payment fees until the European regulation comes into force.* In 2011, within the context of the examination by the Autorité de (...)

Acquisition of SFR by Numericable: France’s Competition authority and ARCEP approve the sale to the firm Hiridjee of the Outremer Telecom mobile operations that Numericable agreed to divest in La Réunion and Mayotte* On 30 October 2014, the Autorité de la concurrence approved the sale of SFR (...)

The Autorité fines TDF 5.6 million euros for practices aimed at foreclosing its competitors from the Eiffel Tower site.* After the adoption of interim measures in 2007, the Autorité de la concurrence is today fining TDF 5.6 million euros for distortion of competition in the market for the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the acquisition of Les Journaux du Midi by La Dépêche du Midi.* The La Dépêche du Midi Group is mainly active in the South/South-West of France, with the publication of the following regional daily press titles: La Dépêche du (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence obtains from TDF an improvement of the hosting contracts binding it to the mobile operators that use its pylons* In the scope of proceedings initiated before the Autorité de la concurrence by FPS Towers (hereinafter FPS), TDF commits to limiting the duration of (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Libération, on the one hand, and L’Express on the other hand, by Mr. Patrick Drahi.* The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition by Mr. Patrick Drahi of the daily newspaper Libération (held by NewsCo Group and PMP Holding), (...)

THE AUTORITÉ DE LA CONCURRENCE CLEARS, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS, THE ACQUISITION OF TOTALGAZ BY UGI FRANCE, THE PARENT COMPANY OF ANTARGAZ * Among the commitments discussed and negotiated with the Autorité, UGI shall, in particular, be obliged to divest its stakes in the capital of several LPG (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence, in coordination with the European Commission and the Italian and Swedish authorities, has obtained particularly extensive commitments from Booking.com aiming to boost competition between online booking platforms and give hotels more freedom in commercial and (...)

Revision of the leniency procedural notice* The Autorité de la concurrence has published a new notice concerning its Leniency Programme The Autorité de la concurrence, meeting in plenary session, has adopted the revised procedural notice relating to its Leniency Programme. This revision of (...)

Joint purchasing agreements in the food retail sector* The Autorité de la concurrence issues an opinion in which it proposes a grid for the general analysis of risks arising from the cooperation agreements recently concluded and provides recommendations CONTEXT Cooperation agreements (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines 3 millers for anticompetitive agreements on increases in the price of flour sold to craft bakeries.* The Autorité de la concurrence issues today a decision whereby it fines Axiane meunerie, Minoteries Cantin and Grands Moulins de Strasbourg a total of (...)

Cartel in the fresh dairy products sector (yoghurts, fromages blancs, milk-based desserts, etc.)* The Autorité de la concurrence fines €192.7 million an anticompetitive agreement on dairy products sold under retail private labels The Autorité issues today a decision in which it finds the (...)

TDF proposes to reduce the length of contracts and ease the conditions for early termination in the contracts of mobile operators using its pylons for the installation of their antennas.The Autorité de la concurrence launches a market test on these proposals.* Within the scope of litigation (...)

Acquisition of SFR by Numericable.* The Autorité de la concurrence opens ex officio proceedings to review the conditions under which Numericable complies with its commitment to divest Outremer Telecom’s mobile telephony activities in La Réunion and Mayotte. On 30 October 2014, the Autorité (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence issues its opinion on four draft implementing decrees* The Autorité considers that some measures entail significant risks to the development of competition in the sector and issues several recommendations aimed in particular at strengthening the independence of (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines concerted practices between manufacturers a total of 345,2 € millions and 605,9 € millions on each market concerned* The Autorité de la concurrence issues today a decision whereby it fines home care and personal care manufacturers for having implemented (...)

The French Autorité de la Concurrence and the UK Competition and Markets Authority have produced a joint report on ecosystems and their effects on competition.* The digital economy gives consumers and firms increased access to products, services, and information. These different products and (...)

Online hotel booking sector* Booking.com has proposed to the Autorité de la concurrence to remove the so-called “pricing parity clause” obliging hotels to grant it pricing conditions that are at least as favorable as those granted to the other online platforms Hotels can now place (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has published the opinion it provided to the Government on the decree, adopted last December 30, regulating the activity of CDC and taxis.* In brief The Autorité de la concurrence has published its opinion that it submitted to the Government on 9 December (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears Virgin Mobile’s acquisition by Numericable* The Autorité de la concurrence has cleared the acquisition of Omer Telecom Limited (“OTL”) by Numericable. OTL is a virtual mobile phone operator operating under the Virgin Mobile brand. This decision takes (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the merger but Carrefour undertakes to divest 56 shops.* On 18 August 2014, the European Commission referred to the Autorité de la concurrence the review of the acquisition sole control of Dia France SAS (hereinafter "Dia”) by Carrefour France SAS (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines three removal companies for having colluded in presenting cover quotes* The Autorité de la concurrence has issued a decision in which it fines three removal companies for having presented cover quotes in order to distort competition in the military (...)

The SNCF takes steps towards the increased autonomy of its subsidiary Keolis in the market of advice and technical assistance to urban transporters. The Autorité de la concurrence consults the market on the proposed commitments* Within the scope of a procedure initiated before the Autorité (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence gives conditional clearance to the acquisition of SFR by Numericable, an Altice subsidiary. * Among the commitments discussed and negotiated with the Autorité de la concurrence, Numericable commits to give competitors (internet service providers, MVNO) access (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence obtains commitments from SNCF allowing travel agencies to compete on an equal footing with voyages-sncf.com. Following these changes, travellers should enjoy an enhanced offer of services.* Summary Following a complaint submitted to the Autorité de la (...)

The Autorité issues the opinion delivered to the Minister of the Economy concerning the draft decree amending the method of calculating regulated electricity tariffs (TRVs).* Following a request from the Minister of the Economy, Industry and the Digital Economy on a draft decree (...)

* Press release originally published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The title above has been amended in order to match the e-Competition format. The Autorité de la concurrence refuses to suspend the network sharing agreement signed between Bouygues Telecom and (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Motorways: following a request from the French National Assembly’s Finance Committee, the Autorité de la concurrence publishes its opinion* The Autorité is the opinion that the exceptional profitability (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence orders GDF Suez to grant its competitors access to some of the data in its historic file.* This access will enable competitors of GDF Suez to compete with the incumbent operator on an equal footing by enabling them to let customers better know about the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has obtained a commitment from Nespresso to lift barriers to entry for other coffee capsule makers – compatible with Nespresso coffee machines – as well as barriers to their growth* The final commitments made by Nespresso – the first in the world – have been (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Ubifrance – Supporting French business for their international development* Following a referral from a professional organization (the OSCI), the Autorité de la concurrence has delivered an opinion and (...)

Broadcasting rights for the French Rugby 1st Division Championship* Following a referral by beIN Sports, the Autorité de la concurrence suspends the agreement concluded between the French Rugby national League and Group Canal Plus which awarded the latter exclusive rights for the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has decided to open an in-depth investigation into the acquisition of SFR by the Altice Group* On 4 June 2014, the Numericable Group, a subsidiary of the Altice Group, filed a merger notification to the Autorité de la Concurrence relating to its plan to acquire (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has imposed Cegedim a 5.7 million euros fine for having abusively refused to sell its medical information database to certain pharmaceutical laboratories* The medical databases market To optimise the work of their sales forces, pharmaceutical laboratories use (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines SFR and its subsidiary in La Réunion SRR nearly 46 million euros.* The Autorité de la concurrence has today issued a decision whereby it has imposed a fine of 45.9 million euros against SFR and its subsidiary in La Réunion SRR, for having implemented and (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Le Nouvel Observateur magazine by Pierre Bergé, Xavier Niel Mr Matthieu Pigasse, who already own Le Monde group* The Autorité de la concurrence has (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of Nocibé by Advent (Douglas) subject to the divestment of 38 sales outlets by the new entity. These commitments will provide consumers (...)

The SNCF makes progress on the path to the equitable treatment of its voyages-sncf.com website and travel agencies* Within the scope of a procedure initiated before the Autorité de la concurrence, SNCF has proposed a series of commitments designed to make voyages-sncf.com and competing (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Nespresso is submitting commitments before the Autorité de la concurrence to lift barriers to entry for other coffee capsule makers - compatible with Nespresso coffee machines - as well as barriers to their (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence delivers its opinion to ARCEP as part of the fourth round of analysis of the wholesale fast and superfast broadband markets.* Following a referral by the French Telecommunications and Posts Regulator (hereinafter ARCEP), the Autorité de la concurrence today (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence again clears, subject to remedies, the acquisition of D8 and D17 by Vivendi and Groupe Canal Plus.* The commitments made by GCP and Vivendi are identical to those made at the time of the 2012 clearance decision with the exception of the one related to the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has obtained a commitment from the PMU, which will separate its online horserace betting activity from its network of points of sale under monopoly. With this decision, the Autorité ensures that diversified legal supply is maintained, to the consumer’s benefit, (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has fined the Groupe Amaury for having driven out of the market a new entrant in the sports press – Le 10Sport.com* The Autorité de la concurrence has fined Les Éditions Philippe Amaury (hereinafter the Groupe Amaury) an amount of 3.5 million euro for having (...)

Subject to a number of commitments, the Autorité de la concurrence has cleared the acquisition of Mediaserv by Canal Plus Overseas, a subsidiary of the Canal Plus Group* The Autorité de la concurrence has cleared, subject to a number of commitments, the exclusive takeover by the Canal Plus (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Numéricâble by Altice, its minority shareholder* The Autorité de la concurrence has cleared the acquisition of the Numéricâble group, a cable (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Canal Plus has just renotified the acquisition of D8 and D17 TV channels. The Autorité de la concurrence has decided to seek sector-specific regulators’ and market players’ views on the new draft (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. With a view to benefitting consumers, the Autorité de la concurrence has issued several recommendations aimed at opening up the sector for the distribution of bulk propane to households’ tanks.* It has (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence, whose opinion was sought in relation to a draft decree, has found that subsidisation of demand response operators’ activity by electricity consumers must be strictly limited (...)

After gathering market players’ insight, and having carried out an in-depth analysis of how the sector operates, the Autorité de la concurrence publishes its opinion.* It calls for the stimulation of competition throughout the distribution chain, and in particular supports the supervised (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Schering-Plough pharmaceutical laboratory a total of 15.3 million euro for hindering entry onto the market of the generic of its originator medicinal product Subutex®* Following a complaint filed by the Arrow génériques laboratory, The Autorité de la (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines EDF 13.5 million euros for having unjustly favoured its subsidiary that operates in the emerging market for photovoltaic solar power* Following a complaint by the Solaire Direct company regarding practices implemented by EDF, the Autorité de la (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence calls for greater competition within the interregional coach transport sector to enable consumers to benefit from cheaper transportation means which are moreover opening new (...)

PMU proposes commitments in order to distinguish its online horserace betting activities from those dealing with horserace betting in physical outlets* Following a complaint lodged by Betclic Everest Group (hereinafter Betclic) with the Autorité de la concurrence, the PMU proposed separating (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence publishes the opinion it provided to the French government concerning a bill on railway reform. The Autorité issues several recommendations that are designed to reconcile the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence issues three opinions to Arcep on the analysis of wholesale call termination markets for the 2014-2016 period and calls for an accelerated and generalised application of the European regulatory framework.* Following a request for opinion from the French (...)

Press release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of the Transdev group by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations subject to the maintenance of the commitments made in 2010*. On 26 (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence has obtained a significant reduction in the main interbank fees charged by Mastercard and Visa respectively. With these decisions, the Autorité de la concurrence has completed the extensive work that it has been performing for the past three years over all (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the acquisition of Imerys TC assets by Bouyer-Leroux. The commitments made by Bouyer-Leroux enable the removal of all risks to competition in (...)

Orange and Free have ended a dispute brought before the Autorité de la concurrence relating to conditions for access to the incumbent operator’s civil engineering infrastructure. The agreement entered into by the two companies will facilitate and accelerate the roll-out of the optical fibre (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence welcomes the fact that all electricity suppliers are now allowed to offer their customers social electricity tariffs. It also recommends that the government initiate an (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to commitments, the acquisition of sole control of Monoprix by Casino Casino undertakes to divest 55 shops in Paris and 3 in the French département of Var and (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence is submitting to public consultation an initial assessment in which it has identified several potential sticking points* Medicinal products are the second-largest (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence publishes its revised guidelines on merger control and a guide on submitting economic studies to the Autorité*. The Autorité de la concurrence has published the finalised (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence declines to impose emergency measures against SNCF, but will continue to investigate the merits of TRANSDEV’s complaint*. TRANSDEV filed a complaint with the Autorité de la concurrence against practices implemented in the public transport sector by the SNCF (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence fines the Conseil Regional de l’Ordre des Vétérinaires of Alsace [1] and the Veterinary Surgeons’ Union of Bas-Rhin for entering into an anticompetitive agreement*. Today, the (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la Concurrence approves three reference offers from the Groupe Canal Plus, after amendments. The first one regulates access of independent channels to distribution services by CanalSat; the (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence will examine the creation of a joint venture by Glon Sanders (subsidiary of Sofiprotéol) and the Euralis cooperative group*. At the request of the undertakings, the European (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence does not have jurisdiction over decisions made by the Conseil supérieur des messageries de presse (CSMP)*. The Autorité de la concurrence today issued a decision whereby it (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the exclusive takeover, by the Rossel group, of companies in the Hersant Média group’s Champagne-Ardenne-Picardie Hub*. The Autorité de la (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence recommends that each company remain free to choose its complementary health insurance body*. On 1 February 2013, the Association pour la promotion de l’assurance collective (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence issues a favourable opinion relating to ARCEP’s proposition to extend by one year the current regulation of the wholesale market of “leased lines”. This extension will enable (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Maintaining regulated gas tariffs has an unfavourable influence on the competitive process without making any positive contribution to the competitiveness of French companies or the purchasing power of (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Kalivia was not in breach of competition rules when it set up its network of authorised opticians*. The Autorité de la Concurrence was informed by a professional body of opticians (the SynOpE) and two (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence will not issue interim measures against EDF but will pursue its investigation on the basis of the complaint lodged by SUN’R*. The Autorité de la concurrence, following a complaint from power station operator SUN’R about certain practices implemented by the EDF (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence fines Réunica for having breached the notification requirement of a merger project*. The Autorité de la concurrence just issued a ruling in which it imposed a fine of (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence has published an opinion on the inclusion of so-called ’historical’ additional costs in the equalisation system between press distribution services. The Autorité is not in (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Upon request from the government, the Autorité de la concurrence assesses the compatibility with competition regulations of the various systems envisaged by players in the sector to untwine press transport (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence makes the commitments proposed by the ’Fédération Française de Golf’ mandatory. Golf players (or licensees) may take out insurance of their choice, which may differ from that offered by the federation*. Following a complaint in April 2012 by the company (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence fines the companies Fnac, France Billet and Ticketnet for entering into anticompetitive agreements* Following a referral from the French Minister for Economy, the Autorité de (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines Orange and SFR a total of €183 million for implementing anticompetitive practices in the mobile telephony sector. Orange and SFR marketed offerings, mainly between 2005 and 2008, allowing for unlimited calls solely within their own networks. These (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of certain Sernam assets by Calberson* Calberson S.A.S. (Calberson) has informed the Autorité de la concurrence of the exclusive control of certain (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the acquisition of certain SeaFrance assets by the Eurotunnel group* The Autorité de la concurrence has just cleared, subject to certain (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence publishes its recommendations to the Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonian government authorities) regarding the food retail sector and the competition control bodies. The Autorité particularly advocates strengthening competition upstream by (...)

France: First Commitment Decision related to Internet Neutrality issued by the Autorité de la concurrence* On 20 September 2012, the Autorité de la concurrence (the Autorité) issued for the first time a commitment decision concerning competition concerns relating to certain restrictions (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of Keolis by SNCF, subject to the maintenance of the commitments made in 2010* On 23 July 2012, the European Commission referred the acquisition of sole control of the Keolis group by SNCF to the Autorité de la concurrence (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of the Flammarion group by the Gallimard group* The Autorité de la concurrence has cleared the acquisition of the Flammarion group by the Gallimard (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence has issued reservations concerning the arrangements proposed by RTE in relation to the participation of certain operators in the electricity Balancing Mechanism* The French (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Direct 8 and Direct Star by Vivendi and Groupe Canal Plus, subject to conditions* On 23 July 2012, the Autorité de la concurrence cleared the (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence confirms the need for PROs to implement transparency measures, owing to the influential power they have within the framework of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) sectors* (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence sanctions the Bigard Group for breaching an important commitment conditioning the takeover of Socopa* The Autorité de la concurrence, noting that the Bigard Group failed to (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Following an in-depth examination, the Autorité de la concurrence has given unconditional clearance for Castel’s acquisition of six companies in the Patriarche group* The Autorité has just cleared the (...)

The Paris Commercial Court seeks the opinion of the Autorité de la concurrence on the compatibility with competition rules of the call for tenders the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP - French professional football league) issued in 2010 to grant broadcasting rights for League 2 football (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover by Carrefour of its franchisee Guyenne et Gascogne, which operates thirty-four food superstores in the south-west of France*. The Autorité de la (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition, subject to commitments, by the Intermarché group of several independent retail outlets in the urban area of Beauvais under the brand name Intermarché*. On 4 May, the Autorité de la concurrence cleared – subject to commitments – the (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to commitments, the acquisition in Martinique of two hypermarkets by the Parfait group*. The Autorité de la concurrence has issued a decision clearing, (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears - subject to commitments - the merger of the agricultural cooperative groups Champagne Céréales and Nouricia* Yesterday the Autorité de la concurrence issued a (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Subject to the sale of 22 retail outlets, the Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Brossette by the Point P group* In November 2011, at the request of Point P, a subsidiary of the (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité recommends a strengthening of patient-led competition amongst dental surgeons. It also calls for more price transparency from dental surgeons in order that patients are able to benefit from the (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence recommends the Corsica regional council to specify precisely the island’s maritime service requirements with a view to avoiding public intervention and expenditure that would (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence supports a modification to the law in order to enable all electricity suppliers to offer the social electricity tariff. Such a development would allow vulnerable customers to (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears – subject to conditions – the acquisition of Enerest by Electricité de Strasbourg (EDF Group)*. Electricité de Strasbourg, a company owned 88.82% by EDF, is a local (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence fines several companies in the sector for having distorted competition in the civil engineering sector on the archipelago*. After starting ex officio proceedings, further to (...)

France: The Autorité de la concurrence fines Overseas Mobile Phone Operator for non- compliance with Interim Measures* On 24 January 2012, the Autorité de la concurrence (the Autorité) issued a decision fining SRR, a subsidiary of the mainland mobile phone operator SFR, for not complying (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines SRR (a subsidiary of SFR) for not having fully complied with the Autorité’s decision enjoining it to put an end to the excessive differences in prices it charged depending on the network called by its customers* The Autorité de la concurrence fines SRR (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence makes commitments by Météo-France regarding a clear separation between its business activities and its public service remit binding. Météo-France commits in particular to upgrade and audit its cost accounting*. Following a complaint by Météo Consult in respect (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Vermandoise by Cristal Union*. The Autorité de la concurrence has just cleared the acquisition of sole control of the Vermandoise group by Cristal (...)

At the request of the Senate, the Autorité de la concurrence reminds public authorities of the competitive framework within which they can participate in the roll-out of very high speed broadband via "integrated projects". It issues a number of recommendations to prevent the risk for public (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence fines several consulting firms and the sector’s trade association for an anticompetitive agreement on prices*. The Autorité de la concurrence has just issued a decision (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence declines to impose emergency measures against Oracle, but will continue to investigate the merits of Hewlett-Packard’s complaint*. Hewlett-Packard Company and Hewlett-Packard France filed a complaint with the Autorité de la concurrence concerning practices of (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence makes commitments proposed by Carrefour concerning a Parisian supermarket franchised under the Champion name binding. Carrefour commits to adapt the standard Carrefour Market franchise agreement with regards this supermarket*. Following a complaint filed in (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence recommends that the Agence nationale des fréquences (ANFR – French frequencies agency) should take certain precautions to avoid operators having cognizance of their (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité is in favour of Arcep’s proposal on ex ante regulation of Free Mobile and full MVNOs mobile voice call termination charges. It considers asymmetrical call termination charges for the benefit of (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the possible acquisition by DFDS of certain assets of SeaFrance and LD Lines*. At the request of DFDS, the Autorité de la concurrence has examined the possible (...)

The Autorité de la Concurrence clears the acquisition of Rue du Commerce’s sole control by Altarea*. The Autorité de la concurrence examined the acquisition of Rue du Commerce by Altarea, by means of the acquisition of a bloc of shares and a public takeover bid on Rue du Commerce’s (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the takeover of the cooperative Elle-et-Vire*. By the cooperative group Agrial subject to conditions Agrial bought out the cider-making business of Elle-et-Vire on 30 June 2009. At the time, this acquisition had not been submitted for merger control (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence publishes two opinions concerning new entrants accessing passenger railway stations. It invites public authorities to prepare for the next stage of the opening up to competition but also, henceforth, to establish minimum safeguards in view of the 2011-2012 (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Lenôtre by Sodexo*. The Autorité de la concurrence has examined the acquisition of sole control of Lenôtre by Sodexo and authorised the transaction in a decision issued on 15 September 2011. The Sodexo group mainly offers business (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of sole control of Habitat by Cafom*. The Autorité de la concurrence has examined the acquisition of sole control of Habitat by Cafom and authorised (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to commitments, the acquisition of a Cora hypermarket by Groupe Bernard Hayot on Martinique (French West Indies)*. The Autorité de la concurrence is today publishing a decision clearing, subject to commitments, the acquisition by Groupe Bernard (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition by France Télécom of sole control of CET (Photo Service and Photo Station chain stores)*. The Autorité de la concurrence has examined France Télécom’s takeover of Compagnie Européenne de Téléphonie (CET). France Télécom is an integrated (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence considers that it cannot pronounce on a general agreement between the players in the cattle, pork and poultry sectors in its advisory capacity, but agrees to reply to the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the proposed acquisition of sole control of the Est Républicain Group by the Crédit Mutuel*. The Autorité de la concurrence has examined the acquisition of the Est Républicain group by the Banque Fédérative du Crédit Mutuel (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears under conditions the acquisition by Rubis Group of sole control of Chevron (Texaco)’s activities in the French West Indies and Guyana*. The Autorité de la concurrence has examined the Rubis Group’s takeover of Société Antillaise des Pétroles Chevron. (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. Concerned by the state of competition on the wholesale broadband Internet market in the French West Indies, the Autorité de la concurrence supports the project of the French Telecommunications and Posts (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence clears, subject to conditions, the acquisition of French Saturn stores’ sole control by HTM (Boulanger stores)*. The Autorité de la concurrence has investigated the takeover by High Tech Multicanal Group (hereafter HTM) of Media Concorde SNC. Both companies are (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence (French National Competition Authority) contributes to the public consultation launched by the European Commission*. Like some other NCAs (national competition authorities) (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence clears the proposed acquisition of the Ne Varietur Group’s sole control by GDF Suez, subject to conditions*. The Autorité de la concurrence has investigated the takeover by (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence fines four companies that rigged bids for procurement contracts in the sector of painting services for naval equipments and engineering structures* After the French Minister of economy referred the file to it, the Autorité de la concurrence issues today a (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence issues a positive opinion on the first inter-branch agreement concluded within the ovine sector. To make such contractualization fully effective, the Autorité calls industry (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité penalizes the three main container handling companies for having agreed on the prices of their services*. As it had indicated at the time of the publication of its two opinions relative to (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence considers that Google holds a dominant position on the advertising market linked to search engines. It considers that competition law can apply limits to Google’s actions and provide a response to the competitive stakes brought to light by the actors, without the (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence authorizes the purchase of the newspaper Le Monde by Messrs. Pierre Bergé, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse.* The Autorité de la concurrence has just issued a decision in which it authorizes Messrs. Pierre Bergé, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse to take control (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence recommends a very strict application of the exceptional legal provisions concerning the markets for engineering and delegation of project management.* The Syntec-Ingenierie professional association has concerns regarding the exceptional nature of the (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The Autorité de la concurrence is in favour of a regulation that reconciles investment incentives and the preservation of competition*. After having issued an opinion in September 2009 at the request of (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the French Competition Authority. The retail sector, a priority for the Autorité de la concurrence*. The Autorité de la concurrence has published today a communication reviewing its initiatives in the retail sector. This contribution (...)

Eco-Emballages and Valorplast commit to greater neutrality vis-à-vis local and regional administrations in order to ensure full competition between buyers.* Following a referral by DKT International, the Autorité de la concurrence issues today a decision making compulsory the commitments (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence authorizes the merger of the Coopagri Bretagne, Union Eolys and CAM 56 agricultural cooperatives.* In its decision on 9 September 2010, the Autorité de la concurrence authorized the creation, by the Coopagri Bretagne, Union Eolys and CAM 56 agricultural (...)

The Autorité de la concurrence authorizes the purchase of the Entremont group by the Sodiaal agricultural cooperative.* The Autorité de la concurrence has just issued a decision in which it authorizes the Sodiaal agricultural cooperative (Yoplait, Candia, RichesMonts brands) to purchase the (...)