ADLC News (FR)

France Raises Merger Control Thresholds Under Economic Simplification Bill

The French National Assembly and Senate adopted the Economic Simplification Bill on April 14-15, 2026, with Article 8 raising merger control thresholds. General worldwide turnover threshold rises from €150M to €250M; France-based turnover threshold from €50M to €80M. Retail-sector specific thresholds also increase: worldwide from €75M to €100M and France from €15M to €20M. The reform, contingent on Constitutional Council validation and presidential promulgation, will take effect on the first day of the fourth month after publication, exempting an estimated 20-30% of currently notified operations.

France Fines Organic Retailers €12.67M for Market Allocation

The French Competition Authority (ADLC) imposed fines totaling €12.67 million on Synadis Bio (€10M), Greenweez/Carrefour SA (€1.85M), ITM Entreprises/Les Mousquetaires (€740,000), and Les Comptoirs de la Bio (€80,000) for a seven-year market allocation conspiracy. The entities coordinated to prevent organic food brands from being sold in both specialized (GSS) and generalist (GSA) distribution channels, deliberately avoiding price comparability between circuits to maintain higher prices in specialized stores. This is the second application of Article L. 464-2 of the Commercial Code allowing fines based on total worldwide revenue of all union members.

ACNC Publishes 300 Competition Decisions in Open Data on data.gouv.nc

The Autorite de la concurrence de la Nouvelle-Caledonie (ACNC), in cooperation with the metropolitan Autorite de la concurrence, has published approximately 300 competition decisions and opinions in open data format on the data.gouv.nc platform. This initiative, representing a significant advance in public transparency and accessibility, complements the systematic publication of decisions on the ACNC website. The structured data is intended to help enterprises, legal practitioners, researchers, and students better understand competition law in New Caledonia and strengthen predictability of economic practices.