Three Things To Know About French Merger Control

1. Jurisdictional thresholds

French merger control applies if the turnovers of the parties to a transaction (usually the acquirer(s) including its (their) group(s) of companies, and the target) exceeded, in the last financial year, certain (cumulative) thresholds provided in Article L. 430-2, I of the French Commercial Code (the "Code"):

• Combined worldwide pre-tax turnover of all concerned parties > €150 million; and
• French turnover achieved by at least two parties individually > €50 million euros; and
• The transaction is not caught by the EU Merger Regulation.

Specific (and lower) thresholds exist for mergers in the retail sector or in French overseas departments or communities[1].