The European Commission has conditionally approved the acquisition of Délifrance by Vandemoortele Group, two major suppliers of frozen bakery products in Europe.
The Commission's investigation found that the deal, as originally proposed, would have significantly reduced competition for frozen laminated dough products — such as croissants and pains au chocolat — in France and Italy.
If the acquisition went ahead without changes, Vandemoortele would have become one of the largest suppliers in the region and faced only limited competition in these markets, the European Commission explained in a statement on Thursday.
To address these concerns, Vandemoortele and Délifrance agreed to sell two Délifrance production facilities dedicated to frozen laminated dough products: one in Avignon and another in Béthune, both located in France.
The Commission stated that these divestments include all necessary assets, equipment, contracts and staff needed for an independent buyer to continue operating the plants.
Maintaining competition
The Commission said these measures fully resolve the competition issues it identified, as the divested sites will allow a new buyer to exert enough pressure on the merged company to keep the market competitive.
Approval of the acquisition depends on the successful sale of the production sites to a buyer approved by the Commission and will be monitored by an independent trustee.
Vandemoortele, based in Belgium, supplies frozen bakery products and plant-based food items to retail and foodservice customers across the European Economic Area, while Délifrance, based in France, operates in similar markets and is part of the Vivescia Group, a large French agricultural cooperative.
The reviewed transaction was formally notified to the Commission on 30 October 2025, and the decision follows the EU merger control rules, which require examining deals involving companies with significant turnover to ensure they do not threaten competition in the European market.
