Merger assessment guidelines

Closed 17 Apr 2025

Opened 20 Mar 2025

Overview

The ACCC is seeking views on draft merger assessment guidelines for the new mandatory merger control regime which commences on 1 January 2026. Businesses may voluntarily notify an acquisition to the ACCC from 1 July 2025.

The merger assessment guidelines outline the analytical framework the ACCC will apply when assessing notified acquisitions under the new regime. It reflects changes resulting from the new regime as well as updates to align with current best practice for competition assessments.

The guidelines are intended to help the community, including merger parties and their advisers, to understand how the ACCC will assess acquisitions under the new regime and provide greater predictability and transparency regarding its decision making.

Following consultation, the ACCC will update the merger assessment guidelines prior to the commencement of voluntary notifications on 1 July 2025.

We invite interested parties to provide feedback on the draft guidelines by making a written submission by 17 April 2025.

You can download the draft guidelines and upload a submission using the links provided below.

You can also submit your feedback to the review team directly at MergerReformInfo@accc.gov.au.

The ACCC will consider the submissions received and, informed by the issues raised in submissions, anticipates arranging meetings with a range of stakeholders.

Why your views matter

This is your opportunity to provide important feedback on the draft merger assessment guidelines, which we will take into account in subsequent drafts of the guidelines.

Downloads

Submissions

A Wait (University of Sydney) 1,179 KB (PDF document)

Business Council of Australia 4,373 KB (PDF document)

C Wang (Monash University) 5,586 KB (PDF document)

G Roger (Monash University) 1,556 KB (PDF document)

H Gerlach (University of Queensland) 1,118 KB (PDF document)

Law Council of Australia 401 KB (PDF document)

Productivity Commission 179 KB (PDF document)

Property Council of Australia 3,937 KB (PDF document)

RBB Economics 4,832 KB (PDF document)

S Loertscher and L M Marx 4,406 KB (PDF document)

TechFreedom 262 KB (PDF document)

The App Association 25,529 KB (PDF document)

V Smirnov 3,007 KB (PDF document)

Z Chen and P Rey 194 KB (PDF document)

This is not a complete list of submissions. These submissions have been published with permission from their authors.

Audiences

  • All consumers

Interests

  • Mergers