The book provides the first comprehensive economic assessment of merger control in Ireland.
The objective of merger control is to prevent mergers that are likely to have negative effects on competition and thereby harm consumers. Consequently, any assessment of a merger control regime needs to consider whether it is effective in preventing such mergers outright or subjecting them to remedies which eliminate the risk of anti-competitive effects. The Competition Act, 2002, radically overhauled Ireland’s merger control regime, transferring responsibility for merger decisions from politicians to an independent regulatory agency the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). Since 2002, the CCPC has decided on more than 1,200 mergers, prohibiting a small number outright but requiring remedies in many others. To date, however, there has been very little detailed analysis of Ireland’s merger control regime. This book provides a detailed economic assessment of merger control based on an analysis of several hundred CCPC merger decisions as well as EU, UK, and US cases.
Economics plays an increasingly important role in merger appraisal in most jurisdictions so a detailed understanding of the economics of merger analysis is essential for students and practitioners. The book provides readers with a detailed account of the relevant economic theory and analyses its application in CCPC decisions, thus providing a comprehensive guide to Irish merger cases. The book is essential reading for students and practitioners in the field of merger control. It will also be of interest to those involved in mergers between Irish and UK companies as a growing number of such transactions will need approval under both Irish and UK rules as a result of Brexit.
