27First, the Commission cannot refrain from taking account of complaints from undertakings which are not party to a concentration capable of having a Community dimension. Indeed, the implementation of such a transaction for the benefit of undertakings in competition with the complainants is likely to bring about an immediate change in the complainants' situation on the market or markets concerned. That is why Article 18 of the Merger Regulation provides that interested third parties are entitled to be heard by the Commission, if they so request. Commission Regulation (EC) No 447/98 of 1 March 1998 on the notifications, time-limits and hearings provided for in Regulation No 4064/89 (OJ 1998 L 61, p. 1) also provides, in Article 11(c), that ‘third parties, that is, natural or legal persons showing a sufficient interest, including customers, suppliers and competitors’ have the right to be heard pursuant to Article 18.
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