Brussels, 01/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 30 September, the European Commission gave the go-ahead for the acquisition of Morpol, the largest salmon processor in the European Economic Area (EEA), by the leading EEA salmon farmer Marine Harvest, both of Norway. The clearance is conditional upon the divestment of the majority of Morpol's salmon farming activities in Scotland. The Commission feared that the deal notified on 9 August would have significantly reduced competition in the market for farming and primary processing of Scottish salmon because it would have combined two of the largest farmers and primary processors of Scottish salmon. The merged entity would have had high market shares and its competitors would have been unable to exert a sufficient constraint on it. The acquisition would likely have led to price increases which could have ultimately harmed consumers. To allay these concerns, Marine Harvest has pledged to divest the largest part of Morpol's salmon farming operations in Scotland, based in Shetland and the Orkneys. These divestments address the competition concerns created by the merger, because they remove a substantial part of the overlap between the parties' activities in the relevant market. (FG/transl.fl)