The potential joint venture between Irish meat supplier Dawn Meats and Northern Irish-based manufacturer Dunbia is set to be investigated by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The CMA's inquiry will investigate whether the acquisition of Dunbia by Dawn Meats will 'result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services'.
The first phase of the inquiry starts immediately, and the deadline for the CMA to announce its decision on whether to refer the merger for a more in-depth phase-two investigation is 6 October 2017.
Strategic Partnership
The two companies announced the joint venture in May, with the aim of becoming a leading meat supplier in the UK market.
Approval of the deal would see Dawn separately acquire Dunbia’s operations in the Republic of Ireland, while the UK operations will be made up of both organisations.
Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats, said that the partnership would "underpin the competitiveness of both operations", given the uncertainty posed by Brexit.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
