EU Commission Adopts Package Aimed At Simplifying Its Procedures Under The EU Merger Regulation

On December 5, 2013, the European Commission (the “Commission”) published a package of measures (the “Package”) designed to simplify its procedures under the EU Merger Regulation (the “EUMR”). In particular, the Package seeks to: (1) expand the types of concentration eligible for treatment under the Commission’s simplified procedure; (2) reduce the amount of information that notifying parties must provide; and (3) streamline the pre-notification process.

The Package will enter into force on January 1, 2014, and will be implemented through updates to the Commission Notice on Simplified Procedure and the Commission Implementing Regulation. In parallel, the Commission is updating its model texts for divestiture commitments and trustee mandates, and is issuing a new set of explanatory guidelines on best practices for divestiture commitments.