Press Release: Mergers: European Commission clears planned acquisition of SSL International by Reckitt Benckiser, subject to conditions

The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of SSL International by Reckitt Benckiser, both British pharmaceutical companies. The decision is conditional upon Reckitt Benckiser's commitments to divest SSL's brands for mouth pain relief products in the UK and Ireland, where the merged entity would have had a very strong market position. In the light of the commitments, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.