第一条 为规范经营者集中反垄断审查工作，明确经营者集中反垄断审查程序，根据《中华人民共和国反垄断法》（以下简称《反垄断法》），制定本办法。

Article 1.  The Measures are enacted pursuant to the Anti-Monopoly Law of the People’s Republic of China (AML) for the purpose of regulating the work of anti-monopoly examinations of concentrations of business operators and clarifying the procedures of anti-monopoly examinations of concentrations of business operators.

第二条 商务部是经营者集中反垄断审查执法机构，承担受理和审查经营者集中申报的具体执法工作。

Article 2.  The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) is the enforcement agency for anti-monopoly examinations of concentrations of business operators, which is responsible for the acceptance and examination of applications for anti-monopoly notifications of concentrations of business operators. 

第三条 在商务部立案之后、做出审查决定之前，申报人要求撤回经营者集中申报的，应当提交书面申请并说明理由。除放弃集中交易的情形外，申报的撤回应当经商务部同意。

撤回经营者集中申报的，审查程序终止。商务部同意撤回申报不视为对集中的批准。

Article 3.  After MOFCOM establishes a case and before it makes a decision on examination, if the party obliged to submit the notification (the Applicant) requires the withdrawal of the notification of concentration of business operators, it shall submit a written application and state the reasons.  Unless the Applicant forgoes the concentration transaction, the withdrawal of notification shall be subject to the consent of MOFCOM.

In the event of withdrawal of notification, the examination procedures shall terminate.  The consent of MOFCOM to the withdrawal of notification shall not be deemed as approval of the concentration.

第四条 在审查过程中，商务部鼓励申报人尽早主动提供有助于对经营者集中进行审查和做出决定的有关文件、资料。

Article 4.  During the examination, MOFCOM encourages the Applicant to take the initiative to submit, as early as possible, related documents and materials that assist MOFCOM’s examination of the concentration and its decision making.

第五条 在审查过程中，参与集中的经营者可以通过信函、传真等方式向商务部就有关申报事项进行书面陈述、申辩，商务部应当听取当事人的陈述和申辩。

Article 5.  During the examination, the business operator(s) participating in the concentration may submit its/their written statements to MOFCOM by letter, fax or other means and defend itself/themselves, and MOFCOM shall listen to the statement and defending arguments of the parties concerned.

第六条 在审查过程中，商务部可以根据需要征求有关政府部门、行业协会、经营者、消费者等单位或个人的意见。

Article 6.  During the examination, MOFCOM may, where necessary, solicit opinions from other governmental authorities, industry associations, business operators, consumers and other entities or individuals.

第七条 在审查过程中，商务部可以主动或应有关方面的请求决定召开听证会,调查取证,听取有关各方的意见。商务部召开听证会，应当提前书面通知听证会参加方。听证会参加方提出书面意见的，应当在听证会举办前向商务部提交。

商务部举行听证会，可以通知参与集中的经营者及其竞争者、上下游企业及其他相关企业的代表参加，并可以酌情邀请有关专家、行业协会代表、有关政府部门的代表以及消费者代表参加。

听证会参加方应当按时出席听证会，遵守听证会程序，服从听证会主持人安排。

听证会参加方出于商业秘密等保密因素考虑，希望单独陈述的，可以安排单独听证；安排单独听证的，听证内容应当按有关保密规定处理。

Article 7.  During the examination, MOFCOM may conduct a hearing to carry out the investigation, collect evidence and listen to the opinions of relevant parties.  If MOFCOM intends to conduct a hearing, it shall give advance written notice to the participants of the hearing.  If any participant of the hearing intends to submit written opinions, it shall submit its opinions to MOFCOM prior to the hearing.

When conducting a hearing, MOFCOM may notify the representatives of the business operators participating in the concentration, their competitors, upstream and downstream enterprises, and other related enterprises, asking them to attend the hearing, and may, of its own discretion, invite relevant experts, representatives of industry associations, relevant government authorities and consumers to attend the hearing.

The participants in the hearing shall attend the hearing on schedule, comply with the procedures of the hearing and be subject to the directions of the host of the hearing.

If the participants of the hearing desire to make presentations separately in consideration of confidentiality of trade secrets and other factors, separate hearings may be arranged; in the case of a separate hearing, the content of the hearing shall be dealt with according to the regulations on confidentiality.

第八条 听证会按照以下程序进行：

(一) 听证会主持人宣布听证会开始，宣读听证会纪律；

(二) 核对听证会参加方；

(三) 参加方就听证内容进行陈述；

(四) 听证会主持人就听证内容询问有关参加方；

(五) 听证会主持人宣布听证会结束。

Article 8.  The hearing shall proceed in accordance with the following procedures:

1) The host of the hearing declares the commencement of the hearing and reads the guidelines for the hearing.

2) The host verifies the participants in the hearing.

3) The participants in the hearing state their opinions.

4) The host questions the relevant participants about the content of the hearing.

5) The host declares the closing of the hearing.

第九条 在初步审查阶段，商务部应当在《反垄断法》第二十五条规定的期限内做出是否实施进一步审查的决定。商务部做出不实施进一步审查决定的，应当书面通知申报人；认为有必要实施进一步审查的，应当做出实施进一步审查的决定，并书面通知申报人。

商务部做出不实施进一步审查的决定或者逾期未做出决定的，参与集中的经营者可以实施集中

Article 9.  During the preliminary examination, MOFCOM shall, within the time limit specified in Article 25 of the AML, make a decision on whether or not to conduct further examination.  If MOFCOM makes a decision not to conduct further examination, it shall give written notice to the Applicant; if it considers that further examination is necessary, it shall make a decision to conduct further examination and give written notice to the Applicant.

If MOFCOM makes a decision not to conduct further examination or fails to make a decision within the specified time limit, the participating business operators may implement the concentration.

第十条 在进一步审查阶段，商务部认为经营者集中具有或者可能具有排除、限制竞争效果的，应当将其反对意见告知参与集中的经营者，并设定一个允许参与集中的经营者提交书面抗辩意见的合理期限。

参与集中的经营者的书面抗辩意见应当包括相关的事实和理由，并提供相应的证据。参与集中的经营者逾期未提交书面抗辩意见的，视为对反对意见无异议。

Article 10.  During the further examination, if MOFCOM believes that the concentration of business operators may result, or has resulted, in eliminating or restricting competition, it may notify the participating business operators of its objections in written form, and set a reasonable period within which the participating business operators are allowed to defend themselves in a written response.

In the written response, the participating business operators shall indicate the relevant facts and reasons, and provide corresponding evidence.  If the participating business operators fail to submit the written defending response within the specified time limit, they shall be deemed as having accepted the objections without demur.

第十一条 在审查过程中，为消除或减少经营者集中具有或者可能具有的排除、限制竞争的效果，参与集中的经营者可以提出对集中交易方案进行调整的限制性条件。

根据经营者集中交易具体情况，限制性条件可以包括如下种类：

（一）剥离参与集中的经营者的部分资产或业务等结构性条件；

（二）参与集中的经营者开放其网络或平台等基础设施、许可关键技术（包括专利、专有技术或其他知识产权）、终止排他性协议等行为性条件；

（三）结构性条件和行为性条件相结合的综合性条件。

Article 11.  During the examination, in order to eliminate the effect of the concentration of business operators that may result, or has resulted, in eliminating or restricting competition, either the participating business operators or MOFCOM may suggest restrictive conditions to adjust the proposed concentration transaction.

Depending on the specific circumstances of the concentration transaction of business operators, the restrictive conditions may include the following categories:

1) Structural conditions such as divestiture of part of assets or businesses of the participating business operators

2) Behavioral conditions such as providing access to the network, platform or other infrastructures of the participating business operators, or licensing key technologies (including patents, know-how and other intellectual properties), or terminating exclusive agreements

3) Comprehensive conditions consisting of both structural and behavioral conditions

第十二条 参与集中的经营者提出的限制性条件应当能够消除或减少经营者集中具有或者可能具有的排除、限制竞争效果，并具有现实的可操作性。限制性条件的书面文本应当清晰明确，以便于能够充分评价其有效性和可行性。

Article 12.  The restrictive conditions proposed by the participating business operators shall be able to eliminate the effect of the concentration transaction that may result, or have resulted, in eliminating or restricting competition, and shall be practicable.  The non-confidential version of the restrictive conditions shall be clear and definite so as to facilitate the comprehensive evaluation of their effectiveness and feasibility.

第十三条 在审查过程中，为消除或减少经营者集中具有或者可能具有的排除、限制竞争效果，商务部和参与集中的经营者均可以提出对限制性条件进行修改的意见和建议。

Article 13.  During the examination, in order to eliminate the effect of the concentration of business operators that may result, or has resulted, in eliminating or restricting competition, either the participating business operators or MOFCOM may give advice and opinions with regard to the modifications of the restrictive conditions.

第十四条 商务部应当在《反垄断法》第二十六条规定的期限内做出禁止或不予禁止经营者集中的决定，并书面通知申报人。对不予禁止的经营者集中，商务部可以决定附加减少集中对竞争产生不利影响的限制性条件。商务部做出进一步审查决定前，参与集中的经营者不得实施集中。

商务部做出对经营者集中不予禁止的决定或逾期未做出决定的，参与集中的经营者可以实施集中。

Article 14.  MOFCOM shall, within the time limit specified in Article 26 of the AML, make a decision on whether or not to forbid the concentration of business operators, and shall notify the Applicant in writing.  For the concentration of business operators that is not forbidden, MOFCOM may decide to attach restrictive conditions for reducing the adverse influence of the concentration on competition.

If MOFCOM makes a decision not to conduct further examination or fails to make a decision within the specified time limit, the participating business operators may implement the concentration.

第十五条 对于附加限制性条件批准的经营者集中，商务部应当对参与集中的经营者履行限制性条件的行为进行监督检查，参与集中的经营者应当按指定期限向商务部报告限制性条件的执行情况。

参与集中的经营者未依限制性条件履行规定义务的，商务部可以责令其限期改正；参与集中的经营者在规定期限内未改正的，商务部可以依照《反垄断法》相关规定予以处理。

Article 15.  For concentrations of business operators with restrictive conditions, MOFCOM shall supervise and inspect the participating business operators’ implementation of the restrictive conditions, and the participating business operators shall regularly report the implementation of the restrictive conditions to MOFCOM.

If the participating business operators fail to perform their obligations according to the restrictive conditions, MOFCOM may order them to correct their behaviours within the specified time limit; if the participating business operators fail to correct their behaviours within the specified time limit, MOFCOM may impose sanctions against them in accordance with the AML.

第十六条 商务部、申报人以及其他单位和个人对于在经营者集中审查中知悉的商业秘密和其他需要保密的信息承担保密义务。

Article 16.  MOFCOM, the Applicant, and other entities and individuals shall keep in confidence the trade secrets and other confidential information learned from the examination of the concentration of business operators.

第十七条 本办法自2010年1月1日起施行。

Article 17.  The Measures shall become effective as of 1 January 1 2010.