On March 2, 2020, after an in-depth investigation, the FCO approved cinema operator Vue Nederland B.V. (“Vue Group”)’s acquisition of its competitor Edge Investments B.V., 2015 First Holding GmbH, and Greater Union International GmbH. [1] The approval is subject to the divestment of cinemas in six regions. The Vue Group operates 31 cinemas in Germany, 30 under the brand “CinemaxX”. The targets operate 53 cinemas in Germany, 51 under the brand “Cinestar”.
Tobii AV v Competition and Markets Authority (February 2020)
On 17 February 2020, the CAT refused Tobii’s application to appeal the CAT’s judgment of 10 January 2020, which upheld
Tobii AV v Competition and Markets Authority (January 2020)
On 10 January 2020, the CAT handed down its judgment on Tobii’s appeal of the CMA’s SLC decision and order requiring the full divestiture of Smartbox.
The Commission Reviews a Decision To Cut Jobs in a Divested Compressor Plant Following the Nidec/ Embraco Phase II Merger Approval
On January 6, 2020, the Commission announced that it would investigate job losses in a plant in Fürstenfeld, Austria, following the acquisition of Whirlpool’s refrigeration compressor business, Embraco, by Nidec, a Japanese manufacturer of electric motors, powertrains, and other related industrial components. The Commission had conditionally approved the transaction following an in-depth merger control investigation, allowing the creation of a leading player in the refrigeration sector.[1]
FCO Clears Joint Venture of Telekom and EWE for Fiber-optic Deployment Following Commitments
FCO Blocks 3-To-2 Merger of Cash Handling Service Providers
On December 18, 2019, the FCO prohibited cash handling service provider Loomis AB’s acquisition of its competitor Ziemann Sicherheit Holding GmbH (“Ziemann”).[1] Loomis AB and Ziemann are the third and second-largest cash handling service providers in a number of regional markets in the west and north of Germany behind market leader Prosegur.
Commission Conditionally Clears Battery Maker Varta’s Acquisition of Energizer’s Divestment Business Subject To Behavioral Remedies To Address Input Foreclosure Concerns
On December 3, 2019, the Commission approved German battery maker Varta AG (“Varta AG”) as a suitable purchaser of assets divested by US-based rival Energizer in its acquisition of U.S. consumer products company Spectrum Brands’ batteries and portable lighting business.[1] In a separate decision on the same day, the Commission also cleared Varta AG’s acquisition of the divested Varta-branded assets subject to behavioral remedies.[2]
The Commission Publishes Its Decision To Waive Commitments in the Steel Sector
On December 3, 2019, the Commission published its decision granting steel company Evraz Group S.A.’s (“Evraz”) request for a partial waiver of commitments it submitted as part of its acquisition of Highveld Steel and Vanadium Corporation Limited (“Highveld”). The Commission cleared the transaction in 2007, subject to divestment and behavioral commitments to address its concerns regarding anticompetitive effects in the markets for the supply of high-purity vanadium pentoxide and vanadium chemicals. The commitments also addressed concerns regarding a potential foreclosure of downstream competitors on the markets for vanadium oxides and finished vanadium products.
Commission Approves The Acquisition of Bonnier By Telia Subject To Behavioral Commitments
On November 12, 2019, the Commission cleared the proposed acquisition of Bonnier Broadcasting Holding AB, a TV broadcasting company primarily active in Sweden and Finland, by Telia Company AB, a telecommunications operator in the Nordic region.[1]
FCO Clears Ciscos’s Acquisition of Acacia Communications
On November 11, 2019, the FCO approved the acquisition of Acacia Communications, Inc. (“Acacia”) by Cisco Systems, Inc. (“Cisco”).[1] The FCO had asked the merging parties to withdraw their notification to have more time to define the relevant markets but cleared the transaction in phase 1 after the parties had resubmitted their notification one month later.