The European Commission has cleared a deal for HLA Vistahermosa and Sanoptis to take joint control of Spanish eye-care provider Oftalmología Vistahermosa, S.L. (Oftalvist).
The acquisition, involving Clínica Vistahermosa Grupo HLA, S.L.U. (HLA Vistahermosa) and Sanoptis España, S.L.U. (Sanoptis), covers activities linked mainly to ophthalmology services — medical care for eye conditions — and private health insurance, the Commission said in a release on Tuesday.
The Commission pointed out that it found the transaction would not raise competition concerns because the joint venture has negligible activities in the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and the companies would have a limited combined market position after the deal.
Case reviewed under simplified procedure
The notified transaction was assessed under the EU’s simplified merger review procedure, a faster process used for deals considered unlikely to raise competition issues, the Commission added.
Further details are available in the Commission’s public case register under reference M.12464.
