07/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - Mergers: Outokumpu/Inoxum. After a detailed investigation, the European Commission authorised on Wednesday 7 November the acquisition of Inoxum, the stainless steel division of Germany's Thyssenkrupp, by Finnish stainless steel and iron producer Outokumpu, as long as the latter sells off various distribution centres in Europe and the Inoxum plant at Terni in Italy, which must remain an autonomous, integrated unit after the sell-off. These pledges have eased the Commission's concerns that the merged body (the world's biggest producer) would have the power to raise prices to the detriment of end-consumers and the competitiveness of European industries that use stainless steel as an input (the car industry, white goods, construction, chemicals and the like). The Commission will be keeping a close eye on the profitability and competitiveness of the Terni plant when it is sold off. (FG/transl.fl)