LDC / Green Label merger inquiry
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated the completed acquisition by Société LDC SA of Green Label Holdings Limited.
Statutory timetable
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 29 April 2026 | Phase 1 decision published |
| 28 April 2026 | Phase 1 decision announced |
| 20 March 2026 | Launch of merger inquiry |
| 23 February 2026 to 9 March 2026 | Invitation to comment |
| 26 January 2026 | Initial enforcement order |
Phase 1
CMA clearance decision
28 April 2026: The CMA has cleared the completed acquisition by Société LDC SA of Green Label Holdings Limited.
- (29.4.26)
Revocation of initial enforcement order
21 April 2026: The CMA has revoked the initial enforcement order imposed on Société LDC SA and LDC International SAS, Green Label Holdings Limited, Geoffrey Maurice Buchanan and William Edwin Buchanan in relation to the completed acquisition by Société LDC SA of Green Label Holdings Limited (Revocation Order). The Revocation Order was issued under section 72(4) of the Enterprise Act 2002 and is without prejudice to the CMA’s ongoing investigations into the acquisition.
- (21.4.26)
Launch of merger inquiry
20 March 2026: the CMA announced the launch of its merger inquiry by notice to the parties.
- (20.3.26)
Invitation to comment: now closed
23 February 2026: The CMA is issuing this ‘invitation to comment’ to allow interested parties to submit to the CMA any initial views on the impact that the transaction could have on competition in the UK. The CMA has not yet launched its formal investigation into this transaction. This invitation to comment is the first part of the CMA’s information-gathering process.
Pre-notification
The CMA has received the necessary information from the parties to commence pre-notification.
Initial enforcement order
26 January 2026: The CMA has served an initial enforcement order under section 72(2) of the Enterprise Act 2002 on Société LDC SA and LDC International SAS, Green Label Holdings Limited (which trades as ‘Gressingham Foods’), Geoffrey Maurice Buchanan and William Edwin Buchanan (both of whom hold interests in the Green Label).
- (27.1.26)
Amendments and consents granted
- (4.3.26)
Contact
Please send written representations about any competition issues to:
Privacy notice
Your name and contact details are your personal data. In collecting, receiving, storing, accessing and using your personal data, the CMA, as controller, is processing your personal data. The CMA processes personal data in accordance with data protection law. The CMA is processing your personal data so that it can contact you again, should it need further help or information from you, in order to carry out its merger work under Part 3 of the Enterprise Act 2002. For more information about how the CMA processes personal data and your rights relating to that data, please read our privacy notice.
Updates to this page
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Full text decision published.
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Phase 1 decision announced.
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Initial enforcement order revoked.
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Commencement notice published.
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Derogation published.
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Pre-notification and invitation to comment published
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First published.