Brussels, 07/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has authorised the creation of a joint venture between the Norwegian company Norsk Hydro and the Belgian firm NutriSI, a common subsidiary between Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM) and the Israeli company Rotem Amfert Negev. The joint venture will concentrate the production facilities of the parties concerned for the manufacture of water-soluble NPK fertilisers (compound fertilisers produced through a physical blending process out of a number of straight fertilisers) within the EEA, installations located in Belgium and the Netherlands. Norsk Hydro will also provide its Dutch liquid fertiliser production facility. The Commission felt that the operation does not raise any specific competition problems. Clients, moreover, will continue to benefit from a wide source of well established European suppliers such as Scotts International, Kali und Salz, Haifa Chemicals and Kemira Ov.