Simplification Package brings some improvement to the EU merger control process - but also increases the burden for business

On 5 December 2013, the EU Commission (the Commission) published revised versions of the filing forms that companies are required to fill out when asking the Commission to authorize a merger or acquisition under the EU Merger Regulation. Specifically, the Commission has revised (i) the standard "Form CO" filing form, (ii) the "Short Form CO" used in unproblematic cases under the simplified review procedure and (iii) the "Form RS" referral request form that merging companies can use to ask for permission to file a transaction below the EU filing thresholds to the Commission or, vice versa, to file a transaction caught by the EU Merger Regulation to specific Member States.