Press Release: Mergers: Commission approves proposed acquisition of Altadis by Imperial Tobacco, subject to conditions

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the Franco-Spanish company Altadis by Imperial Tobacco of the UK. The Commission's decision is conditional upon the divestment of a number of tobacco brands in certain national markets for roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco and cigars where the Commission identified competition concerns. In light of this commitment, the Commission has concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.