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 Authority (CA), subsequently the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). Since 2002, the CA/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 CA/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 CA/CCPC decisions, thus providing a comprehensive guide to Irish merger cases. "MERGER CONTROL IN IRELAND": AN ECONOMIC APPRAISAL 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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patrick Massey has worked as a professional economist for 40 years, at DKM Economic Consultants, the New Zealand Treasury, as a member of the Competition Authority for more than 10 years and as Director of Compecon - Competition Economics, a consulting firm specialising in the economic analysis of competition and mergers, which he established in 2001. He has advised the CA/CCPC and parties in numerous CA/CCPC merger cases and has advised parties in EU and UK mergers.