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ARTICLE · 04 OCTOBER 2024

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Maltese Office For Competition Blocks Acquisition In Groceries' Retail Sector

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Malta's Office for Competition ("the Office") has issued a press release, noting that on the 18 September 2024, it issued a decision prohibiting the acquisition by Lidl Immobiliare Malta Limited ("Lidl") of property owned...

MaltaAntitrust/Competition Law
Adriana Brincat
Adriana Brincat
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Malta's Office for Competition ("the Office") has issued a press release, noting that on the 18 September 2024, it issued a decision prohibiting the acquisition by Lidl Immobiliare Malta Limited ("Lidl") of property owned by Said Investments Limited and leases belonging to another major supermarket chain on the island ("Scott's") bringing a tentative end to an ongoing saga of attempts by Lidl to acquire Zabbar properties belonging to Scott's.

Background

On 9 June 2021 the Office issued a decision, further to a Phase II investigation that had been launched under regulation 6(1)(iii) of the Control of Concentrations Regulations (Chapter 379.08 of the Laws of Malta) ("Merger Control Regulations") approving the acquisition by Lidl of properties belonging to Scott's, following Lidl having excluded properties (specifically those based in Zabbar) from its original notification.

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