Danish and EU Merger Control

Plesner has extensive experience advising on all aspects of Danish and EU merger control, from the initial assessment of transactions to merger clearance proceedings and the implementation of remedies.

Merger control is an integral part of our competition law practice. We advise Danish and international companies, private equity funds and other investors on merger control issues arising in connection with M&A transactions, joint ventures and other changes of control.

Our advice covers the entire merger control process, including the assessment of notification requirements and transaction structures, the preparation of merger filings, pre-notification contacts with competition authorities, substantive competition assessments and economic analysis, market investigations, Phase II proceedings, and the design and implementation of remedies.

We also advise on transaction-related issues such as gun-jumping, information exchange and clean-team arrangements, as well as the increasing importance of rules allowing competition authorities to review transactions that fall below the ordinary merger control thresholds.

Merger Control in Denmark – our annual review

Each year since 2023, Plesner publishes Merger Control in Denmark, our comprehensive review of developments in Danish merger control.

The publication provides an overview and analysis of the preceding year's Danish merger control practice. It covers legislative and regulatory developments, decisions by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority and the Danish Competition Council, relevant judgments and appeal decisions, merger activity and enforcement trends, as well as other developments affecting the review of corporate transactions.

In addition to reporting the individual cases, the reviews identify significant developments in Danish merger control practice and consider their practical implications for companies and transaction parties.

The reviews are intended as a practical reference for businesses, in-house counsel and advisers seeking to understand the development of Danish merger control practice.

The 2025 edition covers a particularly active year for Danish merger control, including 70 merger clearances, three Phase II investigations and the first application of the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority's new power to call in transactions falling below the ordinary turnover thresholds. The review also considers the growing range of tools available to the Danish competition authorities to intervene in corporate transactions, including merger control, call-in powers, the general competition rules and market investigations.