European Union: Antitrust/Competition Law

Ireland is raising the financial thresholds for mandatory merger control notifications from July 2026, increasing the combined Irish turnover requirement from €60 million to €100 million and the individual turnover threshold from €10 million to €15 million. This change follows recommendations from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and a public consultation process, with significant implications for transaction notification requirements and regulatory oversight.

In this issue, we explore a range of notable competition law developments across Europe and Asia, including a German Court's ruling confirming that managing directors...

Competition and Regulation partners at Matheson have authored the Ireland chapter of the Concurrences Foreign Direct Investment Guide, a comprehensive resource covering thirty jurisdictions that addresses the practical questions arising in M&A transactions where FDI review has become a transaction-critical issue. The guide examines how FDI review affects signing timelines, conditions precedent, risk allocation, and deal completion requirements.

In this issue, we explore a range of notable competition law developments across Europe and Asia, including a German Court's ruling confirming that managing directors...

The Italian Antitrust Authority (IAA) has fined Amica Chips, Pata and Preziosi Food more than EUR23 million for an anticompetitive agreement relating to the supply of savory snacks produced...

On May 12, 2026, the Cartel Division (Kartellsenat) of the BGH handed down a landmark ruling on the limits of bundled cartel damages claims brought by claims collection vehicles.

Between €0.30 and €0.50 more per liter at the gas station within just a few weeks: the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a price development in many countries around the world on a scale last seen...

Ireland's proposed Media Regulation Bill introduces sweeping reforms to the country's media merger regime, expanding regulatory oversight to include social media platforms and streaming services while transferring assessment authority from ministerial to independent regulatory control. The legislation modernizes decades-old definitions of media businesses and implements new notification thresholds that could significantly increase the volume of transactions requiring regulatory approval.

The Italian Competition Authority has launched investigations into three major supermarket chains for allegedly conducting unauthorized marketing campaigns that exploited Olympic symbols and imagery during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.