COMPETITION

We advise with regard to notification of the Competition Council of economic concentration, distribution contracts, notifications of the Competition Council re illegal state aid, illegal price controls, “dawn raids” issues, and investigations regarding the abuse of dominant positions.

We advised:

• Coca-Cola Timisoara Bottling Enterprise, Elite Romania, Procter & Gamble Romania, Estee Lauder International, Rompak, and Iams Europe re compliance of their distribution contracts with the law;

• multinationals acquiring participations/control of local companies re requirements of notification of economic concentrations in relation to the acquisitions;  

• Wizz Air re state aid issues; 

• Cobalt IT, a Romanian subsidiary of Bluecrest Special Situations Master Fund Ltd. re the economic concentration resulted from the sale of the company;

• Amromco Energy, re notification of the Competition Council re a Business Transfer Agreement related to the acquisition of 19 Concessions Agreements for oil and gas production from OMV Petrom, the largest Romania operator in the oil and gas sector; 

• Wizz Air Group, re legal issues regarding marketing agreements with Romanian airports, and an investigation by the European Commission of state aid issues;

• Telio Management re economic concentration resulted from the acquisition of a group operating in Central and Eastern Europe, which has a Romanian subsidiary;

• Cobalt IT, a Romanian subsidiary of Bluecrest Special Situations Master Fund Ltd. re the Notification of Competition Council re the economic concentration resulted from a proposed acquisition;

• Amromco Energy LLC, an US oil and gas company re notifications of the Competition Council re illegal state aid, and illegal price controls;

• Petroleum Exploration and Production Operators’ Association re Notifications of the Competition Council re illegal state aid, gas price control;

• a multinational pharmaceutical company re a Competition Council investigation;

• a multinational pharmaceutical company re “dawn raids” issues;

• Rompak s.r.l. re investigation of the distribution practices by the Competition Council;

• The Iams Company, a Procter & Gamble subsidiary re termination of a previous distribution agreement, a new distribution agreement, requirements re notification of the Competition Council;

• British American Tobacco Romania re investigation by the Competition Council re pricing and distribution.

We advised re the notification of the Competition Council of the following mergers and acquisitions: