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OFT seeks views on Carlton and Granada undertakings

PN 135/03     27 October 2003

The OFT is seeking views on a draft of the Carlton and Granada merger undertakings that it has been asked to negotiate.

The OFT was asked by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to negotiate a number of undertakings, recommended in a Competition Commission report into the proposed merger between Carlton Communications plc and Granada plc, to remedy the potential anti-competitive effects of the merger.

The OFT is consulting on the draft undertakings in the interests of transparency and given the large number and range of interested parties in this case. 

Download draft undertakings (pdf file 469 kb). Comments should be received by 5pm on 3 November 2003.

NOTES

1. The proposed merger between Carlton Communications plc and Granada plc was referred under the Fair Trading Act 1973 by the OFT to the Competition Commission on 11 February 2003. The Competition Commission report on the proposed merger was published on 7 October 2003.

2. The Competition Commission recommended a number of remedies to combat the potential anti-competitive effects of the merger. The report is available on the Competition Commission website. The OFT's advice on the report given to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is published on the OFT website.

3. The OFT was asked by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to negotiate these undertakings in concert with Ofcom and the ITC by 7 November 2003. The Secretary of State's announcement is available on the DTI website.

4. Comments on the draft undertakings should be made in writing and limited to the detailed implementation and drafting of the undertakings. Comments should be sent to vivienne.geard@oft.gsi.gov.uk or by post to Vivienne Geard, Office of Fair Trading, Mergers Branch, Fleetbank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8JX by no later than 5pm on Monday 3 November 2003.

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