Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has welcomed major changes to the country’s merger control regime, with revised financial thresholds set to reduce regulatory burdens for businesses from July 1, 2026.
The reform marks the first significant update to Ireland’s mandatory merger notification rules since 2019. By increasing the turnover thresholds, the government aims to remove smaller, low-risk transactions from the filing system, allowing the CCPC to focus resources on larger deals with greater potential to harm competition.
The changes come amid a sharp rise in merger filings over recent years. The CCPC reviewed 47 mergers in 2019, but annual notifications had doubled by 2025. According to CCPC Commission Member Geoffrey Gray, much of this increase reflected inflation and broader economic growth rather than a surge in anti-competitive conduct. Rising revenues pushed more modest transactions above the old notification thresholds, creating additional compliance costs for businesses.
Under the current rules, mergers must be notified if the parties’ combined Irish turnover exceeds €60 million and at least two firms each generate €10 million or more in Ireland. From July 1, 2026, these limits will rise to €100 million in combined turnover and €15 million for each of at least two parties.
The CCPC also clarified how the transition will work. Transactions already notified before July 1 will continue through the existing review process. Deals that clearly exceed the new thresholds will still require approval, while smaller transactions below the old limits remain unaffected.
The biggest impact will fall on mid-sized deals caught between the old and new thresholds. Companies seeking to close such transactions before July 1 must still obtain CCPC clearance. However, parties willing to wait until the new regime takes effect may avoid mandatory notification entirely and proceed without prior approval.
Despite the higher thresholds, the CCPC will retain “call-in” powers to investigate below-threshold mergers that could threaten competition or consumers. The reforms are expected to create a faster and more proportionate merger review system while maintaining oversight of strategically important transactions.
