The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the functioning of the EC Merger Regulation (Council Regulation 139/2004), which sets out the rules for merger control in the European Economic Area (EEA). The purpose of the review is to evaluate how the rules on jurisdictional thresholds and referral mechanisms have worked in practice during the fours years the Regulation has been applied. Based on the response to the consultation, the Commission's own experience in applying the Regulation and feedback from national competition authorities, the Commission will prepare a report to the EU Council of Ministers by July 2009. The Commission welcomes comments to the consultation up to 1st December 2008.