Brussels, 23/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved the acquisition of Raab Karcher, Germany's leading distributor of building materials, by the French group Saint-Gobain, active in the production and distribution of flat glass, insulation products, industrial ceramics, building materials and pipes. The operation will give Saint-Gobain more than 2,500 building materials outlets in Europe. The Commission noted that Saint-Gobain would still have competition from four major national distributors and several regional and local distributors, along with other strong competitors.