Press Release: Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Fortis Commercial Finance Holding by BNP Paribas

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition by BNP Paribas of Fortis Commercial Finance Holding (“FCF”), a company specialised in factoring services in several EU member states. The examination of the transaction showed that the horizontal overlaps between the activities of BNP Paribas and FCF are limited and that, for all products and in all national markets concerned, the combined firm will continue to face several strong, effective competitors with significant market shares.