Holcim must sell business in Serbia - Commission for competition protection approves merge with Lafarge

The Council of the Commission for competition protection of Serbia made a decision which approves implementation of concentration of Swiss Holcim Ltd. and French Lafarge SA, provided that entire business of Holcim Ltd. in Serbia is sold so that effective competition at the cement market would be preserved.

Both foreign companies, participants in this concentration, are present in Serbia through their liable companies and active at the national market in the field of production and sale of cement, gravel, sand, crushed stone and concrete based on which they have been analyzed.

Now integrated participants of concentration would reach mutual market stake in production of cement in interval of 70 to 80% and the remaining market stake would belong to the only competitor, Titan d.o.o. from Kosjeric, (indicators emerge from data on generated production scope of these companies in 2013).

Through certain structural measures suggested by a submitter and which have been provided so that subjected concentration fulfills conditions for its approval and which the Commission adopted, imply sale of the entire business of the Holcim Ltd. company in the Republic of Serbia.

The Commission suggested this kind of measure in order to preserve effective competition in the subjected field of activity.