Autorité de la concurrence Market Definitions

English-language access to ADLC merger decisions — French competition law made searchable

About Autorité de la concurrence

The Autorité de la concurrence is France's independent competition authority, created in 2009 as successor to the Conseil de la concurrence. It reviews mergers with a French dimension and has developed a substantial body of market definition case law across France's €2.7 trillion economy. Decisions are published in French, making access to ADLC market definitions challenging for non-French speakers. CuriAI provides searchable English-language access to ADLC precedents.

Why ADLC Market Definitions Matter

  • France is the EU's second-largest economy and a mandatory notification jurisdiction for most European cross-border M&A transactions
  • ADLC market definitions for French domestic markets — food retail, media, audiovisual, telecoms — are not replicated in EC decisions and are essential for national-dimension filings
  • French competition law has sector-specific nuances in media, pharma, and distribution that require direct access to ADLC precedent rather than relying solely on EC case law

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Autorité de la concurrence?

The Autorité de la concurrence (ADLC) is France's independent national competition authority, headquartered in Paris. Created in 2009 to replace the Conseil de la concurrence, it enforces French competition law and reviews mergers where the combined French turnover thresholds are met (€150m combined, with at least two parties each having French turnover above €50m). It operates independently from the European Commission for transactions below EU thresholds.

Are ADLC decisions published in English?

ADLC publishes its merger decisions exclusively in French. While the authority provides English summaries for some major cases, the full market definition analysis is only available in French. CuriAI indexes and makes searchable the market definition content from ADLC decisions, enabling English-speaking competition lawyers to access French precedents.

How does French merger control relate to EU merger control?

Transactions meeting EU thresholds are reviewed by the European Commission under the one-stop-shop, not by the ADLC. Transactions below EU thresholds but meeting French domestic criteria must be notified to the ADLC. France has also used the Article 22 EUMR referral mechanism to send some transactions to the Commission for coordinated review.

Which sectors does the ADLC focus on?

The ADLC is particularly active in food and grocery distribution (Carrefour, Casino, E.Leclerc), media and audiovisual (TF1, Canal+), telecommunications (Orange, SFR, Bouygues), healthcare and pharmacy, and digital platforms. Its geographic market definitions often reflect the specific structure of French retail and distribution.