An Oct. 26 Global Competition Review story, “CMA looks to preserve reputation in public interest debate,” quotes Brussels antitrust partner Matthew Hall on the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s efforts to safeguard the UK’s current merger control regime.
In its letter to the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the CMA raised concerns that the government’s new industrial policy, which would permit the government to intervene in deals, could undermine certainty and transparency for businesses and the public. Hall notes that the letter is a “‘carefully-couched but clear message’ from the CMA that it thinks current merger control policy works well and the current public interest considerations are broad enough.”
Hall adds, “Most legal practitioners in the field and business people would surely agree. If the UK wants to encourage investment, why put more barriers in place?”
The full text of the article is available online.