The European Commission has cleared four acquisitions under the EU Merger Regulation, including Inchcape’s purchase of Bulgarian car dealer Silver Star and Stonepeak’s acquisition of UK-based Castrol.
The Commission approved Inchcape International Holdings Limited taking sole control of Silver Star of Bulgaria, a deal focused on the sale of motor vehicles in Bulgaria, it announced on Wednesday.
The transaction did not raise competition concerns because of the companies’ limited market position following the deal.
The Commission also cleared the acquisition of joint control of Dutch data centre company NorthC by APG Asset Management and Antin Infrastructure Partners. NorthC’s business is renting out shared data centre space — facilities that house computer servers and networking equipment.
No competition concerns found under simplified reviews
A third decision approved One Rock Capital Partners acquiring sole control of France’s Hana Group and Germany’s Eat Happy Group, companies involved in providing food services, the Commission said.
It concluded the acquisition would not raise competition concerns given the firms’ limited combined market position.
The Commission also cleared the acquisition of sole control of Castrol Group Holdings Ltd, a UK company that develops, produces and sells lubricants, greases, coolants and related fluids, by investment funds advised and/or managed by affiliates of US investor Stonepeak Partners.
The case was examined under the Commission’s simplified merger review procedure and was approved on the basis that the parties’ market positions after the transaction were limited.
