The European Commission has given the green light for the acquisition of a Belgian dairy business by the Netherlands-based dairy processor Royal A-ware.
The commission said it approved the purchase of the Dairy Food Group (DFG) by the Dutch company under the EU Merger Regulation.
Royal A-ware will be familiar to those in the Irish dairy sector as one half of the joint venture – the other party being Tirlán – behind the Kilkenny Cheese Ltd plant in Belview, Co. Kilkenny.
The new acquisition relates primarily to the dairy sector.
The commission, in its analysis of the acquisition, concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given its limited impact on competition in the markets where the companies are active.
Royal A-ware announced the planned acquisition last year, which included taking control of its subsidiaries (Belgian Milk Company) BMC – and its milk collections – as well as the companies Eurodesserts, Limelco, Incopack, and Incorock.
Royal A-ware said that the proposed acquisition is in line with the Dutch business’ strategy of continuing to expand its dairy operations in Belgium while further strengthening its position in what is now a second domestic market for the business.
Jan Anker, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Royal A-ware. said: “Once the acquisition process is complete, we can optimise our milk processing operation in Belgium even further and so work on making supply chains even more efficient. We will also be able to offer our customer base an even wider product portfolio.”
The Dairy Food Group, meanwhile, said it sees the acquisition as providing opportunities to achieve growth and create new jobs.
Its CEO at the time of the announcement, Nathalie Nijs, said: “We are delighted to be joining the Royal A-ware Food Group. This…means we can accelerate the sustainability credentials of our operations.
“As a family business, Royal A-ware strives for the same values as we do and is therefore a perfect match,” Nijs said.
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