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ARTICLE · 25 JULY 2022

Commission Refers Supermarket Acquisition To Belgian Authority

Bird & Bird
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On 1 March 2022, French supermarket group, Intermarché, announced that it would acquire the retail activities of the Mestdagh group.

BelgiumAntitrust/Competition Law
Hein Hobbelen
Hein Hobbelen
Baptist Vleeshouwers
Baptist Vleeshouwers
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On 1 March 2022, French supermarket group, Intermarché, announced that it would acquire the retail activities of the Mestdagh group. The Mestdagh group currently operates some 90 supermarkets in Belgium under the "Carrefour Market" label, but decided to put an end to the partnership with Carrefour in January.

The transaction, which meets the European merger notification thresholds, was initially notified to the European Commission ("Commission"). However, after a preliminary investigation, the Commission considered that the Belgian Competition Authority ("BCA") is better placed to assess the acquisition, citing the fact that the transaction only concerns the Belgian territory and the BCA's experience in the sector.

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