Decision left up to national competition authorities

The European Commission has referred the decision on the competitive impact on the market of Leroy Merlin’s acquisition of Brico to the French, Spanish and Portuguese authorities. The Commission does not consider that the deal will cause any problem in the rest of the European Union. However, it is of the opinion that the new group will overtake Castorama as market leader in France as a result of the acquisition. Furthermore, on the Spanish market Brico and Leroy Merlin together would account for almost all sales in the large-format DIY store segment. Brico is the market leader in Portugal, where Leroy Merlin is planning its market entry.