The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020

45.  After paragraph 19 insert—

“EU merger decisions annulled in full or in part

19A.— (1) This paragraph applies if, on or after IP completion day, a decision by the European Commission in relation to a continued competence concentration is annulled in full or in part by the European Court and European Commission or the European Court makes a binding decision that the European Commission is not competent—

(a) to re-examine the concentration concerned under Article 10(5) of the EC Merger Regulation; or

(b) to consider as part of such a re-examination any effects of the concentration concerned on competition within a market or markets in the United Kingdom.

(2) Nothing in the EU withdrawal agreement is to be taken as preventing the following in relation to the concentration concerned—

(a) a reference being made under section 22 or 33 of the 2002 Act;

(b) an intervention notice being given under section 42 of the 2002 Act;

(c) a reference being made under section 45 of the 2002 Act.

(3) The European Commission and the European Court are to be treated as having made a binding decision for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) or (b) when—

(a) the decision or other document containing a decision to that effect or from which a decision to that effect may reasonably be inferred is published; and

(b) the decision becomes final.

(4) A decision of the European Commission becomes final—

(a) when the time for appealing against it in the European Court expires without an appeal having been brought; or

(b) where an appeal has been brought against the decision, when—

(i) the appeal and any further appeal in the European Court in relation to the decision has been decided or has otherwise ended; and

(ii) the time for appealing against the result of the appeal or further appeal in the European Court has expired without another appeal having been brought.

(5) A decision by the European Court becomes final—

(a) when the time for appealing against it expires without an appeal having been brought; or

(b) where an appeal has been brought against the decision, when the appeal in relation to the decision has been decided or has otherwise ended.

(6) On and after IP completion day, despite their repeal by these Regulations, subsections (3) to (5) of section 122 of the 2002 Act continue to have effect in relation to the concentration concerned except that the condition mentioned in section 122(4) is to be treated as being satisfied during the period starting on IP completion day and ending on the day the binding decision referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(a) or (b) is made by the European Commission or the European Court (as the case may be).

(7) In this paragraph, “continued competence concentration” means a concentration—

(a) in relation to which the EU merger decision was taken before IP completion day; or

(b) in relation to which the European Commission has continued competence as regards the United Kingdom on and after IP completion day in accordance with Article 92 of the EU withdrawal agreement.”.