19/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Mergers: Tirrenia/CIN. On Wednesday 18 January, the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation into the planned acquisition of joint control over a branch of the Italian state-owned ferry group Tirrenia by Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione (CIN) of Italy, a company which has been created for the purpose of the present transaction by Marinvest S.r.l., Grimaldi Compagnia di Navigazione S.p.A. and Onorato Partecipazioni S.r.l. The Commission's initial market investigation, notified in November 2011, indicated serious competition concerns, in particular because the parties to the merger have very high, if not monopolistic, combined market shares on a number of maritime routes in Italy, and especially on certain routes to and from Sardinia. The Commission now has until 4 June 2012 at the latest to take a final decision. (FG/transl.fl)