Brussels, 24/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission gave the go ahead to an operation following which the Dutch retailer Koninklijke Ahold NV will acquire, for EUR 1.5 billion, the control of the Spanish food retail chain Superdiplo SA (turnover of ESP 191 billion in 1999 with 274 establishments). The two parties have sales branches (mainly supermarkets and hypermarkets) in several regions of Spain, but the only where their activities overlap are Madrid and Andalousia. However this situation will not have a major effect in these regions. In Andalousia, the Commission also examined certain more restrained zones where the parties are strongly present, but it concluded that these areas where not sufficiently extended to form a "substantial part" of the common market. Finally, the parties do not jointly hold any significant market shares in the Spanish markets for the wholesale acquisition and trade in common consumer products.