European Commission to prevent MOL’s acquisition of OMV Slovenija?

The European Commission on Thursday said it opened an in-depth investigation to assess the planned acquisition of OMV Slovenija by Hungarian oil and gas company MOL.

The EC pointed out concerns that the transaction could reduce competition in the retail motor fuels market in Slovenia.

MOL is the third-biggest player on Slovenia’s motor fuel market and OMV Slovenija is the second largest. If MOL acquires OMV Slovenija, it, together with incumbent Petrol, would control “a very large share” of the market, leaving all other competitors “unlikely to pose any significant competitive constraint”, the EC said.

MOL and OMV announced the deal a little more than a year earlier and notified the EC in May 2022.

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MOL decided not to submit commitments during the initial investigation to address the EC’s preliminary concerns, the EC noted.

The EC has until October 28, 2022 to take a decision on the matter.

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Source: MTI