Mergers: what they are and why we investigate them
Published 7 February 2018
© Crown copyright 2018
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mergers-what-they-are-how-we-investigate-them/mergers-what-they-are-and-why-we-investigate-them
Mergers involve two or more businesses joining together to form a single business. The Competition and Markets Authority is responsible for reviewing mergers in the UK to make sure they don’t have a harmful effect on competition and leave customers worse off.
Watch our short video to find out more and why you may be contacted for your views when we review a merger.
Mergers - what they are, and how we investigate them
For more detailed guidance on how the CMA handles merger reviews, see our quick guide to UK merger assessment.