Press Release: Mergers: Commission clears proposed acquisition of BP’s Dormagen business by Ineos

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition by the UK-based company, Ineos, of BP’s Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol business in Dormagen, Germany. In December 2005, the Commission approved Ineos’s purchase of BP’s Innovene subsidiary olefin and refining business except the Dormagen business (“BP Dormagen”). The Commission’s preliminary investigation raised serious concerns as to the compatibility of the Ineos/BP Dormagen concentration with the Single Market. However, the Commission’s in-depth investigation concluded that the proposed concentration would not significantly impede competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or a substantial part of it.