04/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 4 August, the European Commission authorised the planned merger whereby the German companies Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co. KG and Bertelsmann AG plan to take joint control of Premium Vertriebs GmbH, another German company, by share purchase, to create a new company which will be a joint venture. Premium will be an online distribution platform for all kinds of books, mainly digital products in the German language (electronic books). Holtzbrinck and Bertelsmann are international companies active in the communication sector. (O.L./trans.fl)