Press Release: Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Kirchner by Strabag and refers review of local asphalt market to German competition authority

Acting under the EU Merger Regulation, the European Commission cleared the proposed acquisition of German construction company Kirchner Holding GmbH by Strabag SE of Austria. Both parties are active in construction markets, including road construction, and in several building materials markets. In view of the parties' low market shares in the construction markets and the local building material markets, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it. At the same time, the Commission decided to refer the assessment of the impact of the operation on the Erfurt regional asphalt market to Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt).