Sainsbury's & ASDA Appeal Over CMA's Refusal to Delay Merger Investigation

J Sainsbury plc and Asda Group Ltd will today lodge an application with the Competition Appeal Tribunal for a Judicial Review of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Phase Two investigation into their proposed merger.

This application requests a review of the timetable and process, reflecting both Parties’ view that the current timetable does not give the Parties or the CMA sufficient time to provide and consider all the evidence given the unprecedented scale and complexity of the case.

Both Parties have engaged constructively with the CMA to date and have made repeated requests for additional time. Specifically, we have asked the CMA for an additional 11 working days over the Christmas period to respond to a large amount of material recently provided to us.

We are confident in the merits of the deal and our ability to deliver the synergies. By bringing our two businesses together, we will invest further in range, quality and customer service, while lowering prices and reducing the cost of living for millions of UK households.

In August 2018, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened its initial (Phase 1) investigation into the merger and announced the companies had requested a ‘fast-track’ referral to Phase 2.

The CMA referred the planned £12bn Sainsbury’s / Asda merger for an in-depth Phase 2 investigation in September 2018.

Source : Insight DIY Team and Sainsbury's 

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