The European Commission has cleared Arval Service Lease’s takeover of Athlon Car Lease International, approving the deal under the EU Merger Regulation.
Arval, a French vehicle leasing company controlled by BNP Paribas Group, is acquiring sole control of Athlon, which is based in the Netherlands, the Commission informed on Monday.
The deal mainly concerns operational leasing — a form of long-term vehicle rental where a company leases cars rather than buying them outright.
The Commission said it had concluded the transaction would not raise competition concerns because its impact on competition in the markets where the two firms operate would be limited.
Competition review
The companies will continue to face competition from other established players, and their combined position in markets where their activities overlap would remain “at most, moderate,” the Commission added.
The case was assessed under the standard merger review procedure and is listed in the Commission’s public case register as M.12416.
