Category: mergers

COMESA clarifies merger procedure

Posted on by Editor

COMESA Competition Commission’s Revised Guidance Note provides much-needed clarity to parties in avoiding fines for late merger notifications

By Tyla Lee Coertzen

On 20 February 2023, the COMESA Competition Commission (“CCC”) published its “Revised Guidance on Engagement with the COMESA Competition Commission on Merger Filings”[1] (“Revised Guidance Note”), replacing the “Notice of Interim Measures in Merger Review of the COMESA Competition Commission due to the COVID-19 Pandemic”[2] (“Interim Measures Note”).

As per Article 24(1) of the CCC’s Competition Regulations, merging parties must notify proposed transactions to the CCC within 30 days of a ‘decision to merge’. The CCC’s Merger Assessment Guidelines further describe a ‘decision to merge’ to either be:

  • a joint decision taken by the merging parties and so comprise of the conclusion of a definitive, legally binding agreement to carry out the merger (which may or may not be subject to conditions precedent); or
  • the announcement of a public bid in the case of publicly traded securities.

Where merging parties do not provide the CCC with a notification within the above specified time, they are at risk to penalties of up to 10% of the merging parties’ combined turnover in the Common Market.[3] In contemplation of a fine, the CCC will consider the following factors for purposes of determining an appropriate penalty:

  • the nature, duration, gravity and extent of the contravention;
  • any loss or damage suffered as a result of the contravention;
  • the behaviour of the parties concerned;
  • the market circumstances in which the contravention took place;
  • the level of benefits derived from the contravention;
  • the degree to which the parties have co-operated with the CCC; and
  • whether the parties have previously been found in contravention of the CCC’s Competition Regulations.

Where the CCC has found parties to have contravened this Article, the CCC has imposed penalties of 0,05% of the merging parties’ combined turnover in the Common Market. However, where parties derive large turnovers in a number of COMESA Member States, even the lower end of the threshold could result in a hefty fine.

The above provisions have caused uncertainty and adverse effects against companies involved in lengthy deal negotiations and execution of large multinational mergers and acquisitions. Often, preparing a merger notification within 30 days of initial decisions to merge places results in large administrative burdens on merging parties who may meet the requirements of a ‘decision to merge’ even before the drafting or execution of important agreements relating to the merger.

The Interim Measures Note was published during the Covid-19 pandemic as a result of uncertainties relating to the timing of merger notifications submitted to the CCC upon recognition of “unprecedented, uncertain and challenging times.” The Interim Measures Note allowed for a relaxation of various rules related to merger notifications to the CCC, such as an allowance for parties to deliver hard copies of their filings after the prescribed 7-day period.

The Interim Measures Note provided guidance to parties who, as a result of the uncertainty posed by the pandemic, were unable to provide a complete notification to the CCC within the 30-day period as required by Article 24(1). In this regard, the CCC allowed parties to proactively engage with it during the 30-day period at the beginning of the merger notification process. Thereafter, the CCC would consider the filing complete after all information required is submitted. The Interim Measures Note provided that “as long as the parties have engaged the Commission on the notification process, they shall not be penalized for failure to submit complete information within 30 days of the parties’ decision to merge.”

However, the Interim Measures Note seemingly only applied during the ‘temporal period’ where the Covid-19 pandemic was rife.

As a result of the relaxation of Covid lockdown regulations and restrictions worldwide, the CCC has now provided further guidance on parties’ options where merging parties are unable to provide the CCC with a complete filing within the strict 30 day time period.

The Revised Guidance Note replaces and overrides the Interim Measures Notice released in 2020. The Revised Guidance Note recognised that in relation to the approach it took for Article 24(1) prohibitions, the Interim Measures Notice was “widely utilized by merging parties” and that the ‘initial engagement approach’ adopted by the CCC had proven “beneficial for both merging parties and for the CCC in monitoring non-compliance with Article 24(1) of the Regulations.”

As a result of the above, the Revised Guidance Note confirms that the CCC will maintain the ‘initial engagement’ approach until further notice and possible amendment to the Competition Regulations. As such, where parties are uncertain as to the conclusion of a proposed transaction within the strict timer period and fear being penalised for an Article 24(1) contravention as a result, they are advised to engage the CCC on the notification process within the 30-day period and shall therefore avoid being penalised. Importantly, the Revised Guidance Note provides that this approach will not apply where there are “unreasonable and unexplained delays in the parties’ submission of a complete notification.”

The Revised Guidance Note provides useful direction to parties who are engaging in proposed transactions within the Common Market and certainly provides clarity on how merging parties who are in good faith unable to provide a complete merger notification within the period prescribed by the CCC may prevent a fine for non-compliance of Article 24(1).

[1] CCC-Notice-2-of-2023.

[2] CCC-Notice-4-of-2020.

[3] Namely, the COMESA Member States, which comprise of the following jurisdictions: Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Egyptian merger control undergoes major revamping after 17 years

Posted on by Editor

By Rostom Omar, Esq. (Primerio Ltd.)

Egypt finally adopts a new merger-control regime that would transform the system from a post-notification to a pre-approval system.

After nearly twenty years of applying Competition Law in Egypt and After several attempts from the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) to introduce a pre-merger notifications regime and several discussions with government, the parliament and sectorial regulators; on Dec 4th, 2022 the Egyptian parliament has finally approved the proposal to amend the Law on Protection of Competition and Prohibition of Monopolistic Practices No. 3 of 2005 (ECL). 

It is worth mentioning in this regard that Egypt was the only country in the region and one of the few countries in the world whose law was not adopting merger Pre- approval system; at a time when M&As increased significantly in the region during the last few years and in which Egypt occupies an advanced position.

According to article 19 of the ECL (Post notification) the acquisition of shares or assets, or joint venture that results in a change of control of an entity or material influence over such entity should be notified after 30 days of concluding the transaction if the combined turnover of the parties exceeds 100 M EGP. It is not yet clear if the non-controlling minority acquisitions would be included in the new filing requirement.

The statement by the ECA indicates that the new filing requirements would apply to merger and acquisition transaction when the annual turnover of the parties exceeds 900 million EGP (around U.S. $30m).

Under the new regime, the ECA will get to assess each reportable transaction prior to closing to decide whether to clear it or not, or impose conditions on approval. The ECA will have the authority to block a transaction that may result in “limiting, restricting, or harming competition”. According to ECA most transactions should be cleared as far as they don’t harm the market structure. The ECA will have the authority to block or to issue a conditional approval for the merger.

Two types of assessments will be included, as is the case with other legislations such as the Moroccan law, one of which is a preliminary examination of the transaction in question and the other is an in-depth examination as needed to speed up the adjudication of notifications.

The details and scope of the amendments will become clearer in the law and via ancillary regulations, and we expect there to be guidelines published in the near future as well.  We will continue to monitor the progress of the entry into force and all relevant details for companies doing business in Egypt and the region more broadly speaking.

We expect more activity from ECA in the next stage for promoting and explaining the new amendments, and we expect more transparency and clarity when dealing with the concerned persons regarding M&As files, especially in the context of the short period of time required by this type of files and their impact on the market and on investments promotion in Egypt.

Currently, parties considering future transactions that may involve businesses with revenues in Egypt should ensure compliance with the latest Egyptian merger control amendments.

Breaking: CCC withdraws its recent Merger Practice Note

Posted on by Editor

An AAT-exclusive first report on this — somewhat stunning — development follows below. More details to be published once they become available in a new post…

On August 8th, 2022, the CCC officially announced the formal withdrawal of its Practice Note No. 1 of 2021, which had clarified what it meant for a party to “operate” in the COMESA common market. The announcement mentions that it will (soon? how soon?) be replaced with a revised Practice Note — a somewhat unusual step, in our view, as the revised document could have, or should have, been published simultaneously with the withdrawal of the old one. Otherwise, in the “interim of the void,” legal practitioners and commercial parties evaluating M&A ramifications in the COMESA region will be left with no additional guidance outside the bloc’s basic Competition Regulations and Rules.

Of note, “this clarifying policy document did not stem from the era of Dr. Mwemba’s predecessor (CCC 1.0 as we are wont to call it), but it was already released under Willard’s aegis as then-interim director of the agency,” observes Andreas Stargard, a competition lawyer at Primerio Ltd. He continues: “Therefore, we cannot ascribe this most recent abdication to a change in personnel or agency-leadership philosophy, but rather external factors, such as — perhaps — the apparently numerous inquiries the CCC still received even after implementation of the Note.”

To remind our readers, we had previously reported on AAT as to this (now rescinded) note as follows (Feb. 11, 2021):

The COMESA Competition Commission (“CCC”) issued new guidance today in relation to its application of previously ambiguous and potentially self-contradictory merger-notification rules under the supra-national COMESA regime. As Andreas Stargard, a competition practitioner with Primerio notes:

“This new Practice Note issued by Dr. Mwemba is an extremely welcome step in clarifying when to notify M&A deals to the COMESA authorities. Specifically, it clears up the confusion as to the meaning of the term ‘to operate’ within the Common Market.

Prior conflicts between the 3 operative documents (the ‘Rules’, ‘Guidelines’, and the ‘Regulations’) had become untenable for practitioners to continue without clear guidance from the CCC, which we have now received. I applaud the Commission for taking this important step in the right direction, aligning its merger procedure with the principles of established best-practice jurisdictions such as the European Union.”

Conference news: Merger enforcement & emerging antitrust regimes

Posted on by Editor
Our good friends at CONCURRENCES will be hosting the third instalment of their global antitrust conference next Thursday, September 23rd:
 
The 2021 edition of Concurrences annual “Global Antitrust Hot Topics” conference will be held online, with a series of 3 webinars from Tuesday, September 21st to Thursday, September 23rd.

The third and last webinar will take place on Thursday 23 September from 3:30pm CEST / 9:30am EDT with a panel focusing on key issues for in-house counsel in global antitrust, merger enforcement and emerging regimes.

The conference will then close with a virtual reception where speakers and participants will be able to exchange their thoughts on this 9th edition.

 This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is concurrences-banner-c_-siteconcurrence-en.png

Speakers will include:

Hanna Danwall
Head of Competition Law
Carlsberg

Nick Hendon
Vice President Mergers & Acquisitions
Olin

Antoine Chapsal
Managing Principal
Analysis Group

John Oxenham
Director
Primerio International

David Cardwell
Partner
Baker Botts

FREE REGISTRATION (CONFERENCE)

Following the 3rd panel, Concurrences is inviting you to the closing reception of this conference. It will allow you to exchange views with the participants and speakers involved in the different webinars of this edition.

This reception will take place via the platform Remo. During this virtual event, you will be able to speak or chat with other attendees and navigate from table to table on a virtual hotel floor.


This virtual panel will also be the opportunity for you to interact with the speakers during the live Q&A session at the end of the panel discussion. 

Mergers: 1st failure-to-notify penalty — Helios now gets what Akzo avoided in 2017

Posted on by Editor

The COMESA Competition Commission (“CCC”) is stepping up to the plate in 2021, and nobody can deny it. The days of ignoring the CCC’s jurisdiction over M&A deals, joint ventures, and even anti-competitive agreements in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa are decidedly over, as the antitrust enforcer has significantly increased its presence and visibility in the legal and business communities over the past 6 months.

In its latest bid to be considered by the antitrust community to rank among the leading African competition-law agencies, the CCC has issued its first-ever failure-to-notify fine on mobile-phone infrastructure providers Helios Towers Limited (“Helios Towers”), Madagascar Towers S.A (“Madagascar Towers”) and Malawi Towers Limited (“Malawi Towers”) for failure to notify the transaction within the prescribed 30-day time period under Article 24(1) of the COMESA Competition Regulations of 2004. Helios Towers is a UK-based telecommunications company, listed on the LSE and a constituent of the FTSE 250 stock index; it operates in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the COMESA region.

COMESA Competition Commission logo

As we previously reported in 2017 (here and here), to AAT’s knowledge the only other reported transaction that came close to being fined for a failure to be notified by the merging parties was the paints deal between Akzo Nobel and Sadolin / Crown Paints: “In that transaction, the parties boldly proclaimed that the CCC simply did not have any statutory jurisdiction at all,” says attorney Andreas Stargard, an expert in African competition law. Indeed, four years ago, Akzo’s spokespeople flatly claimed that their deal fell “outside the CCC’s purview,” as “[w]e do not have a merger going on; we are a fully independent plant, so COMESA does not come into the picture at all.”

The COMESA’s CID observed that the Parties should have filed their merger notification on 22nd April 2021 in accordance with Article 24 (1) of the Regulations, but breached it.

Interestingly, as to the comparatively low amount of the fine, the CCC took into account significant mitigating aspects pursuant to Article 26(6), including these five considerations:

  • The breach was unintentional;
  • The delay in filing did not yield any “discernible advantage” to the Parties;
  • The breach did not result in any loss or harm in the market;
  • The Parties cooperated with the Commission from the time they were engaged leading to the merger being notified on 2nd July 2021 following their initial engagement; and
  • The Parties have no record of contravention with the Regulations.

Therefore, the CCC merely imposed a 0.05% fine (instead of the statutory maximum under Art. 24(5) of 10% of the parties’ turnover in the preceding calendar year in the common market). AfricanAntitrust.com confirmed this 0.05% figure with a CCC executive, clarifying that this percentage amounted to a fine of U.S. $102,101. Mr. Stargard noted his understanding that the CCC’s positioning of this fine at the extremely low end of the permissible spectrum denotes not only the parties’ significant cooperation and other mitigating factors, outlined above, but also represents a nod by the Commission to the fact that this is the first-ever enforcement action of its kind, and therefore “should not set a precedent in both substance and amount.”

The Parties may appeal the decision (available to AAT readers here) to the full Board of Commissioners in accordance with Article 15(1)(d) of the Regulations as read together with Rule 24 (e) of the COMESA Competition Rules of 2004.

20210903-helios-airtel-decision-on-fine-cidDownload

The Commission’s Registrar, Ms. Meti Disasa, stated that “the fine was the first of a kind for breach of the Regulations. The Commission therefore wishes to remind Undertakings in the Common Market to be cautious of the prescribed timeline for notifying mergers in under Article 24 (1) of the Regulations.” Ms. Disasa warned undertakings operating in the Common Market “to comply with all other parts of the Regulations especially with respect to anti-competitive conduct as the Commission shall henceforth not take lightly any breaches of the regional competition law,” according to the CCC’s press release, also noting that “the decision to fine has no impact on the Commission’s assessment of any competitive effects of the merger, which is still ongoing.”

Precedent-Setting Decision: Burger King Acquisition Prohibited Purely on Public Interest Grounds

Posted on by Editor

By Charl van der Merwe

The South African Competition Commission (SACC) made headlines with its first prohibition of an intermediate merger that was based solely on public-interest grounds.

Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), a private equity firm founded in the US, was to acquire all Burger King assets from South African Grand Parade Investments, a South African majority black owned entity. 

The SACC, while finding that the proposed transaction will have no actual impact on competition, prohibited the transaction on the basis that the transaction will have a substantial negative effect on “the promotion of greater spread of ownership, in particular to increase the levels of ownership by historically disadvantaged persons” (HDPs).

The SACC found that the merger would lead to a 68% reduction in the shareholding of HDPs in the target entity.

As John Oxenham, director at Primerio points out, “public interest” considerations have long been a feature of competition law in South Africa, particularly in relation to merger control. In this regard, mergers, which may otherwise be deemed problematic, could be ‘justified’ on public interest grounds. Public interest, while initially limited to employment, was first informally expanded through notable mergers such as Walmart/Massmart (2011) and AB Inbev/SAB (2016) where public interest conditions were imposed related to empowerment and ownership, through agreement by the merging parties.

The Competition Amendment Act, which largely became effective in 2019, formally expanded the recognised public-interest factors contain in Section 12A(3) of the Competition Act to include the “promotion of a greater spread of ownership, in particular to increase the levels of ownership by historically disadvantaged persons and workers in firms in the market”. Further, the public-interest element was elevated to a separate and self-standing assessment, which must be assessed as an integral part of the merger assessment.

While the Competition Act, as amended, has made provision for mergers to be assessed and prohibited on pure public interest grounds since July 2019, the Burger King merger is the first merger to be prohibited on this basis.

SACC Commissioner, Tembinkosi Bonakele noted that the SACC had no choice but to recommend that the merger be prohibited as, clearly, the merger would result in a reduction of HDP ownership from 68% to 0%, which the SACC believes is substantial. This concern was raised with the merging parties, who were unable to address the concern in a suitable manner.

Regarding the broader impacts of the decision on investment and merger control in South Africa, Bonakele noted that the SACC is merely a statutory agency obliged to impose the law as it currently stands and, according to the Bonakele, there is no uncertainty regarding the transformation objectives which had been introduced to the Competition Act. The SACC is clear on its mandate in terms of the Competition Act, as amended, and will continue to implement such mandate.

The legal basis for the decision is clear, however, as is the case with any new legislation, implementation thereof less so. At the time of the enactment of the amendments to the Competition Act, it was well recognised that the practical implementation of these provisions will be critical and that it may lead to significant unintended consequences – including adverse effects on consumer welfare and even broader public interest. Primerio director, Michael-James Currie points out that, ironically, HDP-owned target firms might be negatively prejudiced by this criterion, as the pool of potential buyers is limited (and hence the value) if non-black owned firms are not able to successful acquire the target’s business.

It is not clear, at this stage, what the assessment in the Burger King merger entailed, what evidence was put forward by the parties and what the relevant counterfactual may have been. It is also not clear whether the transaction presented pro-competitive elements which outweigh the adverse effect on public interest – similar to what is required in terms of public interest where a merger may have an adverse impact on competition. The SACC confirmed, however, that the transaction was ultimately prohibited after ECP failed to adhere to requests to proffer conditions relating to shareholding and empowerment.

The SACC has the power to assess and prohibit intermediate mergers. Accordingly, the SACC’s prohibition can only be challenged by way of a request for consideration, to be filed by the merging parties, to the South African Competition Tribunal. The SACC opined, however, that unless the acquiring firm is prepared to make concession to remedy the public interest concerns, the decision is unlikely to be overturned.

Grand Parade has been vocal in its dissatisfaction of the prohibition. The matter will be highly contested, and it is not uncommon for transactions to be approved on a request for consideration to the Tribunal.  Furthermore, any decision by the Tribunal is likely to be taken on appeal to the Competition Appeal Court and likely also the Constitutional Court.

The Burger King decision, regardless of its eventual outcome, will leave a lasting precedent and shape merger control proceedings in South Africa going forward.

The price might be right, but simmer down: a “Yup” is still required from competition authorities in Mr. Price’s strategic Yuppiechef acquisition

Posted on by Editor

By Gina Lodolo and Estelle Naude


South Africans have been left with dropped jaws at the news that Mr Price Group has entered into an agreement to acquire the local Yuppiechef, known for their quirky, luxury kitchenware.


The owners of Yuppiechef are certainly pleased with their agreement with Mr Price Group to have 100% of their issued share capital acquired in cash for around R470 million and stated that “the timing is right for Yuppiechef to move forward with its growth ambitions with a partner who has a shared vision and the resources to help achieve this. I am excited about our future as a part of the Mr Price Group. They are a business which prides themselves on innovation and growth and we are strategically aligned in our plans. We share similar cultures and values which will make this an easy fit for both parties.”

According to Mr Price Group, the acquisition will provide the opportunity for Mr Price Group to expand their market share by reaching a high-end customer base in the kitchen appliance department, as well as expand their product variety from that which is already part of the Mr Price Group offering. Yuppiechef has a larger online presence than Mr Price Group, as such, Mr Price Group will reap competitive benefits from the online presence of Yuppiechef, which will enable them to become a more effective competitor with the likes of inter alia, Takealot.


According to the voluntary announcement from Mr Price Group regarding the acquisition of Yuppiechef, “the targeted effective date is subject to the fulfilment of both regulatory and commercial suspensive conditions which includes competition authority approval.” As such, it is important to note that section 13(3) of the Competition Act 89 of 1998 (“Act”) states that “the parties to an intermediate or large merger may not implement that merger until it has been approved, with or without conditions, by the Competition Commission.” Thereafter, according to section 12A(2) of the Competition Amendment Act 18 of 2018 (“Amendment Act”), a proposed merger must be evaluated on both competition and public interest grounds.


Accordingly, although South Africans are excited about the success story of the local Yuppiechef start-up, it is important to note that the proposed acquisition is still subject to scrutiny from the competition authorities before implementation of the merger can take effect.


Further, Yuppiechef is not the only home-grown retail store that Mr Price Group has sunk it’s teeth into as they seem untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic in their acquisition of Power Fashion, which was approved by the Competition Tribunal in March 2021. The acquisition of Power Fashion, with 170 retail stores, places Mr Price Group in an even stronger competitive position against the likes of Pep and JAM Clothing. According to the South African Primerio team, this acquisition places Mr Price Group in a strategic position to compete more vehemently with the lower end market, while Mr Price Group’s proposed acquisition of Yuppiechef places Mr Price Group in a position to access the higher end market. It seems that Mr Price Group intends to diversify its market share to such an extent that they are able to access the entire market, being both the lower end and the higher end consumer through the acquisition of Power Fashion and proposed acquisition of Yuppiechef respectively. The large scope of retail outlets provided by Power Fashion allows Mr Price Group to expand their physical store offering, while the online retail side will soon be catered for by the acquisition of YuppieChef.


According to Moneyweb the Mr Price Group’s JSE listing is “around 64% up on a year ago when South Africa went into its first Covid-19 lockdown”. Accordingly, Mr Price Group’s diversification and broader acquisition of market share may be one of the reasons that Mr Price Group finds itself at a stock high, unfettered by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

M&A Breaking News: Regional Antitrust Enforcer Aligns Merger Rule with European Union Principles

Posted on by Editor

BREAKING NEWS: The COMESA Competition Commission (“CCC”) issued new guidance today in relation to its application of previously ambiguous and potentially self-contradictory merger-notification rules under the supra-national COMESA regime. As Andreas Stargard, a competition practitioner with Primerio notes:

“This new Practice Note issued by Dr. Mwemba is an extremely welcome step in clarifying when to notify M&A deals to the COMESA authorities. Specifically, it clears up the confusion as to the meaning of the term ‘to operate’ within the Common Market.

Prior conflicts between the 3 operative documents (the ‘Rules’, ‘Guidelines’, and the ‘Regulations’) had become untenable for practitioners to continue without clear guidance from the CCC, which we have now received. I applaud the Commission for taking this important step in the right direction, aligning its merger procedure with the principles of established best-practice jurisdictions such as the European Union.”

The full text of the new Guidance is as follows:

PRACTICE NOTE ON THE COMMISSION’S APPLICATION OF THE TERM “OPERATE” UNDER THE COMESA COMPETITION REGULATIONS AND THE “APPLICATION OF RULE 4 OF THE RULES ON THE DETERMINATION OF MERGER NOTIFICATION THRESHOLDS AND METHOD OF CALCULATION”

February 11, 2021

CCC – MER – Practice Note 1 of 2021

The COMESA Competition Commission (the “Commission”), having received several queries from merging parties and their legal representatives in relation to the application of certain merger control rules, hereby issues this practice note on its application of the term “operate” under the COMESA Competition Regulations, 2004 (the “Regulations”) and the COMESA Competition Rules, 2004 (the “Rules”) and its approach to the application of Rule 4 of the Rules on the Determination of Merger Notification Thresholds and Method of Calculation (the “Rules on the Determination of Merger Notification Thresholds”).

  1. Application of the Term “Operate”

Article 23 of the Regulations establishes the jurisdiction of the Commission to assess cross-border mergers where the term “operate” is central to the application of Article 23 of the Regulations which, inter alia, applies where “…both the acquiring firm and target firm or either the acquiring firm or target firm operate in two or more Member States…”.

The Regulations have not defined the term operate. However, paragraph 3.9 of the COMESA Merger Assessment Guidelines of 2014 (the “Merger Guidelines”) states that an undertaking is considered to operate in a Member State for purposes of Article 23 (3)(a) of the Regulations if its operations in that Member State are substantial enough that a merger can contribute to an appreciable effect on trade between Member States and restrict competition in COMESA. Further, the Merger Guidelines state that “…an undertaking operates in a Member State if its annual turnover or value of assets in that Member State exceeds US$ 5 million…”.

It should be noted that at the time the Merger Guidelines became applicable, the prescribed merger notification thresholds envisaged under Article 23(3)(b) of the Regulation, were set at US$ 0. This effectively meant that all merger transactions satisfying the regional dimension requirement of Article 23 (3)(a) of the Regulations were required to be notified to the Commission, irrespective of the magnitude of the merging parties’ operations in the Common Market. In line with the Regulations’ objectives, the Commission sought to only capture those mergers likely to affect trade between Member States and restrict competition in the Common Market. As a result, the Merger Guidelines attached a quantitative definition to the term ‘operate’, as meaning the turnover or value of asset in a Member State to be at least US$ 5 million.

All stakeholders are hereby informed that following the enactment of the Rules on the Determination of Merger Notification Thresholds, the definition of ‘operate’ under paragraph 3.9 of the Merger Guidelines in no longer applicable as the Rules take precedence over the Guidelines. In view of this, paragraph 3.9 of the Guidelines has been rendered ineffective with the coming into force of Rule 4 of the Rules on the Determination of Merger Notification Thresholds. Therefore, for purposes of merger notification in line with Article 23 of the Regulations, all stakeholders should be referring to Rule 4 of the Rules on the Determination of Merger Notification Thresholds which stipulates that:

 “Any merger where both the acquiring firm and target firm, or either the acquiring or the target firm, operate in two or more Member States, shall be notifiable if:

  1. the combined annual turnover or combined value of assets, whichever is higher in the Common Market of all parties to a merger equals to or exceeds US$50 million; and
  2. the annual turnover or value of assets, whichever is higher, in the Common Market of each of at least two of the parties to a merger equals or exceeds US$10 million, unless each of the parties to a merger achieves at least two-thirds of its aggregate turnover or assets in the Common Market within one and the same Member State.”

 2.  Application of Rule 4 of the Rules on the Determination of Merger Notification Thresholds

Rule 4 applies to merger transactions that satisfy both the “Regional Dimension” and “Notification Thresholds” requirements under Article 23 of the Regulations. Rule 4 is cumulative and must be satisfied entirely before a merger is notified to the Commission. Rule 4 is therefore applied as follows:

Firstly, Regional Dimension must be satisfied. This is contained in the chapeau of Rule 4 which requires the merging parties to operate in at least two COMESA Member States. Further, it gives three alternative scenarios under which merging parties can operate in Member States namely:

  1. Both the acquiring firm and target firm can operate in at least two Member States;
  2. The acquiring firm can operate in at least two Member States, while the target firm can operate only in one Member State; or
  3. The target firm can operate in at least two Member States, while the acquiring firm can operate only in one Member State.

Regional Dimension will therefore be met once any of the three scenarios is satisfied and if they are, the next step is to confirm whether Rule 4(a) is satisfied. Rule 4(a) must be satisfied by confirming that either the combined annual turnover or combined annual assets in the Common Market of all the parties to the merger equals to at least US$ 50 million. The option to use combined annual turnover or combined annual asset shall depend on the higher amount of the two total values.

Assuming the Regional Dimension and Rule 4(a) is satisfied, the next step is to confirm whether the merging parties satisfy Rule 4(b). To satisfy Rule 4(b), it should be demonstrated that the annual turnover or annual asset, whichever is higher, of each of at least two of the parties in the Common Market is at least US$ 10 million. Whether to use annual turnover or annual asset depends on the higher of the two. It should also depend on the measure (turnover or asset) used in Rule 4(a).

As an illustration, assume annual combined turnover is higher than annual combined asset under Rule 4(a). This shall mean annual combined turnover will be adopted under Rule 4(a). Therefore, proceeding to Rule 4(b) shall mean confirming whether the annual turnover of each of at least two of the parties in the Common Market is at least US$ 10 million.

The final step in applying Rule 4 is to confirm if the 2/3 exemption rule holds. Given that Rule 4 must be applied in its entirety, the 2/3 exemption rule must also be read in conjunction with the preceding limbs in establishing the thresholds i.e. Rule 4(a) and Rule 4(b). For both the collective and individual thresholds requirements under Rule 4(a) and 4(b), it is the higher value of the turnover derived or asset value held which must be considered. In this regard, the 2/3 rule is meant to apply once the higher value has been established. It would be contrary to the principles and spirit of the 2/3 rule to rely on a different financial criterion to exempt a notification than the criterion used to establish a notification requirement under first two limbs of Rule 4.

COMESA seeks replacement for CCC’s Dr. Lipimile

Posted on by Editor

The COMESA Competition Commission has announced that it is accepting applications for the position of Director of the CCC until the end of October.  Says Andreas Stargard, an antitrust practitioner with Primerio Ltd.:

“The post is currently held by Dr. George Lipimile, the agency’s first and, therefore by definition, most influential chief.  Dr. Lipimile has certainly steered the comparatively young Commission into the right direction during its formative years, notably overseeing a complete makeover of the merger-notification procedure early on in the process, after much criticism of the initial system.

We are curious to see who will replace him in March 2021, as Dr. Lipimile’s term expires at the end of February.  Will it be a true competition-law expert, or will it be a politically-motivated appointment made by the COMESA Secretariat, pushing for someone who is more of a trade lawyer or, worse, economic protectionist.  What the CCC needs now to continue gaining international recognition and respect (from its peer agencies, as well as from commercial parties!) is a qualified antitrust attorney who understands the law & economics aspect of competition practice, and who will apply these principles neutrally throughout the COMESA region!”

Dr. Lipimile
George Lipimile, CEO, COMESA Competition Commission

Back in 2015, we quoted Mr. Stargard as follows, suggesting a path forward for the agency:

“If the CCC steps up its enforcement game in the non-transactional arena, it could become a true force to reckon with in the West.  I can envision a scenario where the CCC becomes capable of launching its own cartel matters and oversees a full-on leniency regime, not having to rely on the ‘follow-on enforcement’ experience from other agencies abroad.  The CCC has great potential, but it must ensure that it fulfills it by showing principled deliberation and full transparency in all of its actions — otherwise it risks continued doubt from outsiders.”

It remains to be seen who the Director’s replacement will be and which of these topics will dominate her or his agenda, if any.  The Director’s term is for 5 years, offering a salary of between $70,000 and $83,000.  Details on the opening can be found here.  Only Member State nationals can apply.  Interestingly, COMESA member states’ antitrust enforcers likewise posted the announcement on their individual web sites:

COMESA antitrust enforcer holds COVID seminar

Posted on by Editor

 

Willard Mwemba
Dr. Mwemba of the CCC

The COMESA Competition Commission (“CCC”) hosted a live webinar today on the impact of COVID-19 on merger regulation and enforcement within the common market in the COMESA region.  The seminar was aptly sub-titled “Challenges and Way Forward,” and the CCC representatives, in particular Dr. Willard Mwemba, did indeed lay out the problems faced by them and the measures proposed and taken to alleviate them.

COVID-related business and national competition agency closures have led to “significant delays in information gathering” from NCAs, third parties, and merger parties themselves.

CCC has relaxed the hard-copy filing requirements for merger notifications.

The concept of non-competition factors (i.e., the public-interest element) was also raised, as there is a “growing debate on whether the pandemic may necessitate changes in [the] substantive assessment of mergers, e.g., towards more lenient consideration of failing firms.”

That said, the CCC emphasized that its adjustment to enforcement actions should not be construed as any weakening of competition principles taking place.  The harmonization and coordination among the COMESA member countries’ agencies and the CCC remain a critical element of the operation of the single market.