IP/00/343
Brussels, 7 April 2000
Commission approves joint venture between Ahold,
ICA Förbundet and Canica
The European Commission has approved an operation by which the Dutch
grocery retailer Koninklijke Ahold N.V. (“Ahold”) acquires joint control over
the Swedish food retail chain ICA AB (“ICA”) together with the Norwegian
company Canica and the Swedish retail group ICA Förbundet. The markets
concerned are the retail, wholesale and procurement of daily consumer
goods, that is, of food and certain non-food articles. The operation will not
produce any increment in market shares in any of these markets: Ahold is
active in The Netherlands, Portugal and, to a minor extent, in Spain, whereas
ICA Förbundet and Canica are active in Sweden and Norway. Therefore, the
concentration will not give rise to any concerns with regard to its impact on
effective competition.
Ahold is a leading European grocery retailer, mainly active in the wholesale and retail
of daily consumer goods and related products and services in Europe and abroad.
ICA Förbundet is a Swedish non-profit organisation of more than 2,000 small and
medium-sized ICA retailers. Canica is a Norwegian limited company owned by
private persons.
ICA Förbundet and Canica at present are the main shareholders of ICA. ICA is the
parent company of ICA group of companies including a group of ICA retailers active
in the retail and wholesale of daily consumer goods in Sweden and via Hakon
Gruppen in Norway. As a result of the concentration, Ahold will exercise control over
ICA together with ICA Förbundet and Canica.
The undertakings are active in different Member States of the Community: Ahold has
its main activities in The Netherlands and Portugal and some minor business in
Spain. ICA Förbundet and Canica are active via ICA in Sweden and via Hakon
Gruppen in Norway. Considering that the markets for retail, wholesale and
procurement of daily consumer goods are of national dimension, the present
operation does not produce any market share additions.
Therefore, the Commission decided not to oppose the proposed concentration.