05/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - Mergers: Ratos-Ferd Aibel Holding/Aibel Group. On Friday 5 April, the European Commission authorised the joint acquisition of Swedish engineering, construction and energy services company, Aibel Group, which operates on offshore oil and gas rigs in the North sea, mainly off the coast of Norway, by Swedish investment conglomerate Ratos AB and Norwegian investment company Ferd Aibel Holding AS, controlled by Norwegian financial and industrial investment conglomerate Ferd SA, part of the Andresen family. The Commission says that the deal does not raise any competition problems because the parties' businesses do not overlap and Aibel only has a small overlap with a branch of Ratos that makes hydraulic pipeline systems. (FG/transl.fl)