Press Release: Mergers: Commission clears proposed joint venture between Dutch pharma company DSM and Sinochem

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed joint venture between the Dutch pharmaceutical company DSM and Sinochem, a Chinese state-owned conglomerate. The joint venture will primarily be active in the field of certain antibiotics and other anti-infective products used for treating bacterial, fungal and other infections. The Commission carefully examined the effects of the proposed transaction, including the issue of possible coordination by the Chinese state of the market behaviour of different state-owned firms. The Commission concluded that even if all Chinese state-owned firms acted as one, there would still be a sufficient level of competition in the markets concerned.