15/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - On 15 October, the European Commission confirmed that it was getting ready to send a statement of objections under Community anti-trust rules to the Anglo-Australian companies Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, which are planning to create a joint venture in the iron ore sector. At the conclusion of its preliminary investigation, which was launched on 25 January (see EUROPE 10063), the Commission now has sufficient information to allow it to express its objections to this operation. A Commission spokesperson stated that this operation does not come under rules on mergers, but it is governed by anti-trust rules at European level, whilst an investigation at national level is underway in Germany into the same operation by virtue of its rules on mergers. Outside Europe, the Japanese regulator has expressed objections to this project in terms of competition. It has also emerged that Rio Tinto was apparently planning to withdraw from this project, which is worth around €83 billion. It is worth noting that Rio Tinto and Billiton are the second and third-largest producers of iron ore in the world respectively. (F.G./transl.fl)