Testing the limits: Ryanair/Aer Lingus and the boundaries of merger control

Between the summer of 2007 and the autumn of 2015 Ryanair made repeated and determined attempts either to acquire the entirety of Aer Lingus or to defend the acquisition of a minority shareholding in the company. Aer Lingus in turn made repeated and determined efforts to defend itself against an unwanted acquisition. The litigation ceased only at the point where an alternative bid for Aer Lingus was accepted. During this process the difference in the ability of the EU and Member States to exercise control over minority shareholding acquisitions was thrown into sharp relief, and the UK courts discussed the relationship between the exercise of UK merger control and EU merger control. This article explores various aspects of this chain of decisions and litigation

Evidencing the goals of competition law in the People’s Republic of China: inside the merger laboratory

In the analysis of competition law the most fundamental question to be asked of any regime is that of what the goals of that regime are. The goals of competition law will determine the outcomes of cases, and transparency in goals will permit robust analysis of decisions against a clear benchmark, and facilitate firms’ analysis of transactional risk. Mergers which are notified to multiple authorities provide a distinctive opportunity to compare the operation of the different regimes in respect of, in essence, the same case at the same time. Where divergent outcomes are identified these may simply indicate that in the face of complex sets of facts different conclusions are drawn, or that competitive conditions vary across the relevant regimes. More importantly, divergence may suggest that different goals are being applied. This article focusses on the approaches taken in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the United States and the European Union – the three ‘key’ merger regimes, from each of which a clearance is a ‘must have’ – in a defined set of merger cases in which at least two of these jurisdictions applied, covering the years 2013–2016. Recognizing the limitations pertaining to any such analysis, I compare the approaches taken across this set of merger cases seeking to explain and critique any divergence, focussing in particular on the more expansive approach to merger control demonstrated here to be applied in the PRC. The focus throughout is on the operation of the substantive test(s) of merger control, which provide a focal point for testing the goals of competition law and policy

A bibliography of works for the identification of freshwater invertebrates in the British Isles

This bibliography covers the literature up to the end of 1978. The criteria used in the selection of references were that they should aid identification of invertebrates directly; thus, works solely concerned with the taxonomy of a particular group are in general omitted unless they contain a key. Some check-lists are however included where they give current nomenclature. The references are arranged alphabetically within each group and deal mainly with macro-invertebrates but include available keys to some microscopic invertebrates. Internal parasites and hymenopterous parasitoids are omitted. For insects the life stages to which the key applies are given where this is not clear in the reference. A number of keys to non-aquatic stages have been included in the hope that they may prove useful in certain circumstances. In addition, under a general head, latest check-lists are referred to together with bibliographies of algal keys and a guide for the identification of British water plants

The classification and prediction of macroinvertebrate communities in British rivers

This article describes the progress of the River Communities Project which commenced in 1977. This project aimed to develop a sensitive and practical system for river site classification using macroinvertebrates as an objective means of appraising the status of British rivers. The relationship between physical and chemical features of sites and their biological communities were examined. Sampling was undertaken on 41 British rivers. Ordination techniques were used to analyze data and the sites were classified into 16 groups using multiple discrimination analysis. The potential for using the environmental data to predict to which group a site belonged and the fauna likely to be present was investigated

Letter from E. Furse to John Muir, 1905 Mar 21.

[4]flower show to get funds for our poor and some of his wonderful plants would be a great attraction. I expect to have the show at the end of April and the principal flowers will be Daffodils and Primroses in all their varieties. This year I am collecting for this purpose. One year I made $300 in a small attempt I made at a village, so I hope here I can get$1000. We have much poverty this year amongst the unemployed. Farming does not pay in England and manufacturing is overdone and we cannot compete with your adopted (for you are a Scotchman) country.Please remember us kindly to your daughters. My regards to Mrs. Muir and with many many good friendly wishes to yourself.Sincerely YoursE. Furse[in margin: 378]Mar. 21, 1905Dear Prof. MuirYour letter of Feb. 15th was a real treat. I am very glad that you have not forgotten me. How I should like to make you a visit! When I can go to California again I cannot tell. I know I have to go to the eastern states towards the end of the summer but only for a few days. I must return before one of my sons goes to India. Then I expect to go to Egypt where my youngest son is going. He has suddenly given up 03351 [2]the idea of entering the Diplomatic service and has chosen the Egyptian Civil. This because it requires more individual work and a man that intends to work will surely advance. My boy is a good worker and the government agent at Cambridge advised him to take it up. I was called to Cambridge to discuss the matter and agreed to his taking this career. After that I expect my brother will join me and we hope to go to Ceylon for the winter. I have suffered so much lately with gout and am still suffering that my staying in England during winter is out of the question. With all that my gout is not in the legs I cannot take [3]all the exercise I want and my gardening work has been curtailed. We are not so fortunate as you are. No oranges or any fruit at this time but imported. At present we have a great number of Daffodils, primroses, polyhanthuses and today I noticed the prunes in bloom.By the way, yesterday I read in a paper called the Country Gentleman about the wonderful things your countryman Luther Burbank, Santa Rose, has brought out. Is it all true? Certainly we have daisies five inches diameter that he sent to the Horticultural Society. If so I must ask him to send me some seed or plants. I hope next year to have