Last checked against the official text on 15 October 2026. Authority: Autoriteit Consument en Markt (ACM).
Reference information, not legal advice; confirm with counsel before relying on a figure.
Current thresholds
| Test | Threshold | Applies | Official source | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combined turnover of the undertakings concerned in the preceding calendar year General test, first limb (Art. 29(1)) |
more than EUR 150 million | from 1 August 2014 | Mededingingswet (BWBR0008691), Artikel 29, wetten.overheid.nl Mededingingswet Art. 29(1) |
15 October 2026 |
| Turnover achieved in the Netherlands by each of at least two undertakings concerned General test, second limb (Art. 29(1)) |
EUR 30 million or more | Start date not stated on this page | Mededingingswet (BWBR0008691), Artikel 29, wetten.overheid.nl Mededingingswet Art. 29(1) |
15 October 2026 |
| Combined gross booked premiums of the undertakings concerned in the preceding calendar year (pension funds) Pension-fund test, premiums limb (Art. 29(4)); other conditions not shown |
more than EUR 500 million | from 1 July 2016 | Mededingingswet (BWBR0008691), Artikel 29, wetten.overheid.nl Mededingingswet Art. 29(4) |
15 October 2026 |
Who reviews, and is filing mandatory
Concentrations in the Netherlands are reviewed by the Autoriteit Consument en Markt (ACM). The notification thresholds are in Article 29 of the Dutch Competition Act (Mededingingswet), in the consolidated text.
The regime is prior-notification and suspensory. Article 34(1) prohibits carrying out a concentration before the intention to do so has been notified to the ACM and four weeks have passed (Dutch: Het is verboden een concentratie tot stand te brengen voordat het voornemen daartoe ...). See the Act.
The tests in Article 29
General test (Art. 29(1)). The chapter on concentrations applies where the combined turnover of the undertakings concerned in the preceding calendar year exceeded EUR 150 million, and at least two of them each achieved at least EUR 30 million in the Netherlands.
Pension funds (Art. 29(4)). A separate test applies to pension funds within the meaning of the Pensioenwet. It is based on premiums received, and its full conditions are not shown as figures on this page. The one amount published here is the combined gross booked premiums of the undertakings concerned in the preceding calendar year, which must exceed EUR 500 million (see the consolidated text).
Both tests are turnover or premium tests. The text of Article 29 read for this page contains no market-share test.
Adjusting the amounts
Article 29(2) allows the amounts in paragraph 1 to be raised by general administrative order (algemene maatregel van bestuur). Article 29(3) allows them to be lowered by such an order for a defined category of undertakings, for periods of up to five years that can be renewed. The figures on this page are the amounts stated in the consolidated text read on 15 October 2026; any order made under paragraphs 2 or 3 would need to be checked separately. The official consolidated text notes amendments to Article 29 that have no commencement date yet; this page shows only the amounts in force on 15 October 2026.
What this page does not cover
This page does not cover how turnover is calculated, who must submit the notification, the notification form and fees, the length of the first and second review phases, the substantive test, exemptions from the standstill obligation, or the interaction with Dutch and EU foreign-investment and sector rules. The date shown for each figure is the date from which that amount has been in force under the amending act (1 August 2014 for the EUR 150 million combined-turnover limb, Stb. 2014, 247 and Stb. 2014, 266; 1 July 2016 for the pension-fund test, Stb. 2016, 22 and Stb. 2016, 123); no start date is shown for the EUR 30 million limb, which predates 2014 and whose commencement date has not been verified here. The consolidated text read for this page is stated as in force from 1 September 2025.
Changes log
- : Page published. Figures checked against the consolidated text of Article 29 of the Mededingingswet.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Dutch merger control thresholds in 2026?
Under Article 29(1) of the Mededingingswet the merger chapter applies where combined turnover of the undertakings concerned in the preceding calendar year exceeded EUR 150 million and at least two of them each achieved at least EUR 30 million in the Netherlands.
Is there a different threshold for pension funds in the Netherlands?
Yes. Article 29(4) uses gross booked premiums: combined premiums above EUR 500 million, with at least two undertakings each receiving a minimum amount of premiums from Dutch residents, as set in that paragraph.
Is Dutch merger filing suspensory?
Article 34(1) prohibits implementing a concentration before the intention has been notified to the ACM and four weeks have passed.
Can the Dutch thresholds be changed?
Article 29(2) and (3) allow the amounts to be raised, or lowered for a category of undertakings for up to five years at a time, by general administrative order.