2015 was a record year for mergers

Director General of the Competition and Consumer Authority Jakob Hald says:

"From a competition perspective, the year of 2015 was about mergers for the Competition and Consumer Authority. In many cases, mergers affect competition in a market, with possible negative effects for consumers as a consequence, which makes it an important task for us to assess major mergers."

"In our investigation, we’ve focused on the more serious infringements of the Competition Act, such as cartels. It is important to get them stopped because their harmful effect in relation to consumers and suppliers can be huge."

In 2015, the Competition and Consumer Authority processed 41 mergers. Two of the mergers were approved only after the companies had made commitments, while the remaining 39 cases were immediately approved.

In particular, the merger notification from the Danish Crown slaughterhouse regarding the Tican slaughterhouse dominated 2015. However, ultimately the Competition Council did not take a position on the case, as the two companies abandoned their plan for a merger.

The Competition Council made six decisions in 2015, and intervening with an order or accepting commitments in four of them. Among other things, the decisions related to the conditions for specialist doctors, consortia and chain collaborations.

The new, independent Competition Council came into force on 1 July 2015. The Council now consists of seven members appointed by the Minister for Business and Growth. Previously, the council had 18 members, nine of whom were nominated by trade and stakeholder organisations.

Last year, the Competition and Consumer Authority conducted a series of inspections as part of the investigation of seven complexes of cases.

If the Competition and Consumer Authority identifies significant infringements of the Danish Competition Act, the case is referred to the Public Prosecutor for Serious Economic and International Crime (SØIK) with a view to prosecution. In 2015, five cases were referred to SØIK.

In total, 13 businesses and seven individuals were fined around DKK 8 million in 15 competition cases. Most fines were given in connection with the case regarding construction cartels in Greater Copenhagen. The complex of cases has still to be completed.