Brussels, 23/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission approved the planned joint acquisition through which: a) the companies Canal+ and Lagardere will acquire joint control of the company CanalSatellite, presently 84% held by Canal+; b) the same in conjunction with Liberty Media to acquire the company producing thematic channel, presently held by Canal+, Liberty Media and Havas Images. Three joint ventures will also see the day: an interactive service supplier (Lagardere/CanalSatellite), a producer of thematic channels (Lagardere/Canal+) and a producer of new channels under the Lagardere banner (Lagardere/Multithematiques).
After investigating, the Commission concluded that the co-operation between Lagardere and Canal+ is limited to very precise activities: i) the production of thematic channels (including cinema, news, sport and programmes broadcast directly from Canal+); ii) the production of interactive services broadcast by satellite; iii) the developing of new thematic channels around the Lagardere brands (the Internet being expressly excluded from the agreement). Thus it authorises this operation, believing that there is no evidence that the parent companies may coordinate their behaviour on the markets upstream or downstream of the joint venture.