Brussels, 17/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to open an investigation into the proposed acquisition of the textile division of the Swiss company Sulzer by Italy's Promatech SpA, a subsidiary of Radici the Italian leader in the weaving machines sector. The proposed deal did not meet the turnover thresholds, which would trigger the Commission's competence. It fell instead under the jurisdiction of the following Member States: Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Portugal and Austria. These countries referred the case to the Commission according to Article 22 (3) of the Merger Regulation in the belief that that it creates or strengthens a dominant position on the markets concerned. This is the first time since the entry into force of the Regulation 11 years ago that Member States have used this provision. They were of the opinion that competition would be significantly impeded within the territory of the Member States concerned and cross-border trade affected. After a one-month review, the Commission decided to launch a detailed investigation into the market for "rapier" weaving machines, a flexible type of weaving machine used for a range of fabric making and high-quality clothing.