France · Independent authority
The Competition Authority in figures
In 2025, the French Competition Authority published 354 decisions and opinions, including 328 merger control decisions, 9 decisions on anticompetitive practices and 17 opinions. Its fines totalled EUR 6.7 billion from 2016 to 2025, including EUR 379 million in 2025.
- Decisions and opinions in 2025354+12% over one year
- Mergers in 2025328control decisions, 295 in 2024
- Decisions with a fine in 20255for a total of EUR 379 million
- Fines from 2016 to 2025EUR 6.7 billion111 decisions with a fine
Decisions year by year
The Autorité de la concurrence is the independent administrative authority in charge of ensuring that competition works properly in the markets. It reviews mergers, fines cartels and abuses of a dominant position, can order interim measures and issues opinions. Before 2009, the published decisions are those of the Conseil de la concurrence, its predecessor. The chart follows the number of decisions and opinions year by year.
The Competition Authority published 354 decisions and opinions in 2025, including 328 merger control decisions, 9 decisions on anticompetitive practices and 17 opinions, that is 12% more than in 2024. Since 2010, the yearly total ranges from 230 in 2015 to 354 in 2025. From 2016 to 2025, 87% of the decisions and opinions concern mergers, 7% anticompetitive practices and 5% are opinions.
- Merger control
- Antitrust cases
- Interim measures
- Opinions
- Other decisions
| Period | Total | Merger control | Antitrust cases | Interim measures | Opinions | Other decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2025 | 1,587 | 1,418 | 91 | 1 | 72 | 5 |
| 2016-2020 | 1,390 | 1,167 | 130 | 3 | 79 | 11 |
| 2011-2015 | 1,220 | 993 | 111 | 3 | 104 | 9 |
| 2006-2010 | 655 | 292 | 203 | 13 | 140 | 7 |
| 2001-2005 | 540 | 0 | 420 | 21 | 99 | 0 |
| 1996-2000 | 563 | 0 | 398 | 63 | 102 | 0 |
| 1991-1995 | 452 | 0 | 339 | 51 | 62 | 0 |
| 1988-1990 | 78 | 0 | 51 | 15 | 12 | 0 |
Number of decisions and opinions published per year. Before 2009: decisions of the Conseil de la concurrence. Merger control carried out by the Authority from 2009.
See also France CNIL Constitutional Council
Merger control
A merger is an operation that brings about a lasting change in the control of one or more companies: a combination, an acquisition of control, the creation of a joint venture. When the companies concerned exceed turnover thresholds, the operation must be notified to the Authority, which clears it, with or without commitments, or prohibits it. This review has been the Authority's responsibility since 2009.
In 2025, the Authority issued 328 merger control decisions, that is 11% more than in 2024. They account for 93% of the decisions and opinions of the year. The number of merger control decisions went from 198 in 2010 to 328 in 2025. Since 2010, the yearly number ranges from 185 in 2012 to 328 in 2025. In all, 3,870 decisions have been issued since 2009, including 2,585 from 2016 to 2025.
| Year | Control decisions | Change | Share of decisions and opinions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 328 | +11% | 93% |
| 2024 | 295 | +11% | 93% |
| 2023 | 266 | +4% | 88% |
| 2022 | 257 | −6% | 87% |
| 2021 | 272 | +39% | 86% |
| 2020 | 195 | −28% | 84% |
| 2019 | 271 | +15% | 85% |
| 2018 | 235 | 0% | 85% |
| 2017 | 236 | +3% | 85% |
| 2016 | 230 | +20% | 80% |
| 2015 | 192 | −4% | 83% |
| 2014 | 200 | 0% | 83% |
| 2013 | 201 | +9% | 81% |
| 2012 | 185 | −14% | 76% |
| 2011 | 215 | +9% | 83% |
| 2010 | 198 | +111% | 74% |
| 2009 | 94 | – | – |
Series from 2009, the year the Authority received this responsibility. Share computed for years with at least 200 decisions and opinions.
See also Conseil d'État France
Anticompetitive practices and fines
Anticompetitive practices are cartels between companies and abuses of a dominant position. The Authority can fine them, up to 10% of the company's worldwide turnover excluding taxes, and order interim measures pending its decision. The chart and the table follow, year by year, its decisions on these practices and the fines imposed; the amounts are yearly totals.
In 2025, 5 decisions imposed fines, for a total of EUR 379 million. Fines totalled EUR 6.7 billion from 2016 to 2025; the yearly amount ranged from EUR 168 million in 2023 to EUR 1.8 billion in 2020. The total is EUR 3.3 billion from 2021 to 2025, against EUR 3.4 billion from 2016 to 2020. Since 2009, 185 decisions have imposed fines, for EUR 10.7 billion in all. The number of decisions on anticompetitive practices went from 29 in 2016 to 9 in 2025.
- 2025
- 2024
- 2023
- 2022
- 2021
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
| Year | Antitrust cases | Interim measures | Decisions with a fine | Total fines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 5 | EUR 379 M |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 8 | EUR 1,428 M |
| 2023 | 15 | 1 | 11 | EUR 168 M |
| 2022 | 26 | 0 | 13 | EUR 468 M |
| 2021 | 30 | 0 | 14 | EUR 874 M |
| 2020 | 22 | 1 | 10 | EUR 1,786 M |
| 2019 | 26 | 1 | 14 | EUR 632 M |
| 2018 | 26 | 0 | 13 | EUR 238 M |
| 2017 | 27 | 0 | 9 | EUR 498 M |
| 2016 | 29 | 1 | 14 | EUR 203 M |
| 2015 | 20 | 0 | 9 | EUR 1,252 M |
| 2014 | 19 | 2 | 7 | EUR 1,014 M |
| 2013 | 23 | 0 | 10 | EUR 161 M |
| 2012 | 29 | 0 | 13 | EUR 541 M |
| 2011 | 20 | 1 | 8 | EUR 420 M |
| 2010 | 39 | 1 | 12 | EUR 443 M |
| 2009 | 40 | 2 | 15 | EUR 207 M |
Amounts imposed by the Authority, before any appeal, added up for the year of the decision. A single decision can account for most of a year's total.
See also Conseil d'État France
Sectors of activity
Each decision is attached to the first sector of activity it mentions. Since mergers make up most of the published decisions, the breakdown by sector mostly reflects the sectors in which operations are notified. The table compares three periods of five years.
From 2021 to 2025, 1,587 decisions and opinions were published; the sector “Retail and distribution” accounts for 769 of them (48%), followed by “Services” (15%) and “Agriculture and food industry” (6%). The sector “Retail and distribution” had 676 decisions and opinions from 2016 to 2020 and 571 from 2011 to 2015. The decisions and opinions of this period cover 18 sectors.
- Retail and distribution
- Services
- Agriculture and food industry
- Energy and environment
- Construction and public works
- Industry
- Health
- Banking and insurance
- Digital sector
- Transport
- Tourism, hotels and catering
- Press and media
- Regulated professions
- Telecommunications
- Overseas territories
- Arts and culture
- Consumer goods
- Sport
- Sector not stated
| Sector | 2011-2015 | 2016-2020 | 2021-2025 | Share, 2021-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail and distribution | 571 | 676 | 769 | 48.5% |
| Services | 75 | 167 | 233 | 14.7% |
| Agriculture and food industry | 94 | 63 | 95 | 6.0% |
| Energy and environment | 43 | 52 | 76 | 4.8% |
| Construction and public works | 29 | 43 | 74 | 4.7% |
| Industry | 92 | 65 | 59 | 3.7% |
| Health | 44 | 59 | 51 | 3.2% |
| Banking and insurance | 58 | 56 | 48 | 3.0% |
| Digital sector | 42 | 35 | 48 | 3.0% |
| Transport | 40 | 48 | 29 | 1.8% |
| Tourism, hotels and catering | 3 | 15 | 22 | 1.4% |
| Press and media | 20 | 23 | 20 | 1.3% |
| Regulated professions | 31 | 39 | 19 | 1.2% |
| Telecommunications | 34 | 20 | 15 | 0.9% |
| Overseas territories | 9 | 8 | 13 | 0.8% |
| Arts and culture | 1 | 4 | 11 | 0.7% |
| Consumer goods | 15 | 9 | 2 | 0.1% |
| Sport | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.1% |
| Sector not stated | 19 | 7 | 1 | 0.1% |
| Total | 1,220 | 1,390 | 1,587 |
Each decision is attached to the first sector it mentions; “Sector not stated” groups decisions with no sector.
From the Conseil de la concurrence to the Authority
The Conseil de la concurrence was replaced in 2009 by the Autorité de la concurrence, which took over its missions and received merger control, previously exercised by the minister in charge of the economy. The table and the chart compare the yearly average of decisions and opinions published before 2009 and since, by type.
The average number of decisions and opinions published a year is 95.7 from 1990 to 2008 and 274 from 2009 to 2025. Decisions on anticompetitive practices account for 73% of the decisions and opinions of the first period and 9% of the second. The average number of interim measures a year goes from 8.3 to 0.6.
- 1990-2008
- 2009-2025
- Merger control
- Antitrust cases
- Interim measures
- Opinions
- Other decisions
| Type | Yearly average, 1990-2008 | Yearly average, 2009-2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Merger control | 0 | 228 |
| Antitrust cases | 70.1 | 24.2 |
| Interim measures | 8.3 | 0.6 |
| Opinions | 17.3 | 20.0 |
| Other decisions | 0 | 1.9 |
| Total | 95.7 | 274 |
The years 1988 and 1989, with only a few decisions, are left out.
See also France Constitutional Council
Understanding these figures
Merger control
A merger (a combination, an acquisition, the creation of a joint venture) must be notified to the Authority when the companies concerned exceed certain turnover thresholds. The Authority clears it, possibly in exchange for commitments, or prohibits it after an in-depth review. It has carried out this review since 2009; before that, it was the responsibility of the minister in charge of the economy. In 2025: 328 merger control decisions, against 295 in 2024; from 2016 to 2025: 2,585 decisions.
Anticompetitive practices and fines
Anticompetitive practices are cartels between companies and abuses of a dominant position. Not all decisions in this category impose a fine: some dismiss the complaint or find that there is no ground to proceed. A fine can reach 10% of the sanctioned company's worldwide turnover excluding taxes. From 2016 to 2025, 221 decisions concern anticompetitive practices; over the same period, 111 decisions imposed a fine.
Interim measures
When a practice causes serious and immediate harm to the economy in general, to the sector concerned, to the interests of consumers or to the complainant company, the Authority can order interim measures, for example suspending a practice, while the case is being investigated. There were 4 decisions of this kind from 2016 to 2025, against 16 from 2006 to 2015.
Challenging the Authority's decisions
Decisions on anticompetitive practices can be challenged before the Paris court of appeal, then before the Cour de cassation; merger decisions, before the Conseil d'État. The amounts shown here are those the Authority imposed, before any appeal: a fine may be upheld, reduced or annulled by the court hearing the case.
What these figures count
Each published decision or opinion counts as one. Opinions, which the Authority issues at the request of the Government, Parliament or other institutions, or on its own initiative, address a competition question without deciding a dispute. Fines are added up for the year in which the decision was made: a single decision can account for most of a year's total. Before 2009, the published decisions are those of the Conseil de la concurrence, the Authority's predecessor, and fine amounts are available from 2009.
Frequently asked questions
How many decisions does the French Competition Authority issue each year?
In 2025, the Authority published 354 decisions and opinions, including 328 merger control decisions and 9 on anticompetitive practices. Since 2010, the yearly total ranges from 230 in 2015 to 354 in 2025.
What is the total amount of fines imposed by the Competition Authority?
From 2016 to 2025, fines totalled EUR 6.7 billion, imposed by 111 decisions. In 2025, the total is EUR 379 million for 5 decisions.
How many mergers does the Competition Authority review?
In 2025, the Authority issued 328 merger control decisions, against 295 in 2024. It has carried out this review since 2009: 3,870 decisions have been issued since, including 2,585 from 2016 to 2025.
Can a decision of the Competition Authority be challenged?
Yes. Decisions on anticompetitive practices can be challenged before the Paris court of appeal, then the Cour de cassation; merger decisions, before the Conseil d'État. The amounts shown are those the Authority imposed: EUR 379 million in 2025, EUR 6.7 billion from 2016 to 2025.