EU pauses Orange and Norsk Hydro M&A investigations

Alumetal SA

26/10/2022 16:33

By Foo Yun Chee
       BRUSSELS, Oct 26 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators
have paused investigations into French telecoms provider
Orange's  ORAN.PA  bid for a majority stake in Belgian peer VOO
SA and Norsk Hydro's  NHY.OL  proposed acquisition of Alumetal
 AMT.WA  while awaiting their data.
    The European Commission suspended the Orange investigation
on Wednesday and examination of Norwegian metals maker Norsk
Hydro's Polish recycler bid on Tuesday.
    "This procedure in merger investigations is activated if the
parties fail to provide, in a timely fashion, an important piece
of information that the Commission has requested," a Commission
spokesperson said.
    "Once the missing information is supplied by the parties,
the clock is re-started and the deadline for the Commission's
decision is then adjusted accordingly."
    The EU competition enforcer opened a full-scale
investigation into Orange's VOO bid in July, warning that the
deal could reduce competition in the southern region of Belgium.
    This month the Commission kicked off its investigation into
Norsk Hydro's deal, warning that the takeover could eliminate a
growing rival able to bring cheaper and advanced recycled
aluminiium products to the market.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N3175HX
    Regulators have become increasingly wary of so-called killer
acquisitions where big companies acquire smaller rivals to shut
them down.    
 (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee
Editing by David Goodman)
 ((foo.yunchee@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 6844; Reuters
Messaging: foo.yunchee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))