Mergers: how they are investigated
Information for businesses about how the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigates mergers, including processes, timelines and possible outcomes.
Documents
Details
This page explains how mergers between businesses are investigated by the CMA.
It鈥檚 a simple guide for businesses to help you understand:
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our role in merger control聽
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what counts as a merger
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legal criteria for investigating a merger
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how we find out about mergers
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how we assess a merger
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how our investigations work, including how long it takes and what you need to do, and what the possible outcomes are
For more detailed information about our remit and processes, read our guidance on the CMA鈥檚 jurisdiction and procedure (CMA2).
If you need something else, go to Merging your business.
Updates to this page
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Additional information about Phase 1 and Phase 2 processes added.
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First published.