European Commission approves acquisition of Délifrance by Vandemoortele
The European Commission on Thursday approved Belgian food company Vandemoortele’s acquisition of French frozen bakery producer Délifrance, provided the company divests two production sites in France.
The Commission had expressed concerns that the takeover could significantly reduce competition in the market for frozen laminated dough products, including croissants and chocolate rolls, particularly in France and Italy.
To address these concerns, Vandemoortele and Délifrance agreed to sell two Délifrance production sites, located in Avignon in the south and Béthune in the north of France. The Commission says that this divestment would alleviate any competition concerns.
Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s vice-president in charge of competition policy, said that "the commitments offered by the two companies will enable them to proceed with their transaction, while preserving the competitive pressure that keep food prices affordable."
Vandemoortele is a global manufacturer and supplier of frozen bakery products and plant-based food solutions such as fats, sauces, margarines and oils. The Ghent-based company employs 3,500 people at 28 production sites and has a turnover of 1.4 billion euros.
Délifrance, meanwhile, employs more than 3,200 people, operates 14 production sites and has annual sales of around 930 million euros. The acquisition is expected to make Vandemoortele the largest producer of frozen bakery products in Europe.
#FlandersNewsService | PHOTO © BELGA
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