Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Beta Pura by RLBNW and ASM

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Beta Pura GmbH, by Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien AG (‘RLBNW’) and AGRANA Sales & Marketing GmbH (‘ASM’), all of Austria.

Beta Pura operates a betaine crystallisation plant that processes natural liquid betaine into natural crystalline betaine and by-products. RLBNW is an Austrian universal bank that is a member of the Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group. ASM is a subsidiary of AGRANA Beteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft, which manufactures sugar, starch and fruit products.

The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns given Beta Pura’s limited activities in the European Economic Area.

The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.11068.