The European Commission has given final approval to the transfer of Carrefour Italia to New Princes, confirming that the transaction does not pose a risk to competition in the affected markets. The dossier, notified to Brussels in recent weeks, was examined through the ordinary procedure provided for by the EU Merger Regulation.
The official note released today reads: "The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Carrefour Italia SpA by NewPrinces SpA, both Italian companies. The transaction primarily concerns the production and supply of food products through retail distribution. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given its limited impact on competition in the markets in which the companies operate. The notified transaction was examined under the normal merger procedure.
Brussels' assessment examined the areas in which the two operators' activities could overlap, identifying no risks of restricting competition or creating dominant positions. The absence of critical issues made any request for commitments or remedies from the companies involved superfluous. For New Princes, a group active in the production and marketing of food products, the acquisition represents a strategic step towards strengthening its presence in modern retail. For Carrefour Italia, however, the EU approval paves the way for a new phase of reorganization under the leadership of a national shareholder, at a time when the French group is repositioning its international operations.
The transaction is part of a market, the Italian large-scale retail trade, characterized by increasing consolidation, with operators engaged in redefining their size, network, and operating models to compete in an increasingly complex environment. The Commission also recalls that More information is available in the public case register, under the number M.12121, on the competition platform. With EU approval, the authorization process is complete and the operation can move to the executive phase, with the launch of the industrial plans intended to reshape the future of Carrefour's presence in Italy.
