The Board of Commissioners decrees to stop legal terms for some procedures filed before COFECE*
- This measure does not apply to procedures for the notification of concentrations, the verification of notifications for concentrations that were legally bound to be presented before the Commission, as well as for opinions on tenders’ processes, concessions, and permits.
- Working days will not change and the Commission’s facilities will remain open from Monday through Friday during regular hours.
- These measures are taken to slow down the spread of COVID-19 virus and to protect the health of staff, economic agents, practitioners, people that visit the Commission and the general public.
The Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE or Commission) decided to join efforts made by different Mexican organizations – such as the Supreme Court of Justice and the Council of the Federal Judiciary – to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) and to protect the health of COFECE’s public officials, economic agents, practitioners and people that visit the facilities of COFECE, as well as of the general public. Consequently, the Board agreed that from March 23, 2020, and until April 17, 2020, legal timeframes and deadlines of procedures filed before this Commission are suspended. However, working days shall remain the same and the Commission’s facilities will remain open Monday through Friday at regular hours.
Procedures related to the review of concentrations as well as those for opinions on tenders’ processes, concessions, permits and similar proceedings will be exempted from these measures. Specifically, those filed under articles 90, 92, 98 and 99 of the Federal Economic Competition Law, as well as those under articles 111, 112, 113, 113 bis 1, 113 bis 2, 113 bis 4, 113 bis 5, 113 bis 6 and 133 of the Regulatory Provisions of the Federal Economic Competition Law. For these, working days and timeframes will remain unchanged and due diligence will be conducted.
COFECE takes this decision regarding concentration control procedures because, most of these are be carried out by electronic means, so they require little physical contact, and also because concentrations are relevant for investment and job creation.
It is worth noting that motions presented for the rest of procedures filed before this Commission will be considered as filed on the first day that legal timeframes are restarted according to the agreement issued for such purpose.
