Brussels, 31/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has referred the proposed acquisition of joint control of Bremerhavener Entsorgungsgesellschaft (BEG), a waste management company, by Karl Nehlsen, Rethmann Entsorgungswirtschaft and SWB to the Bundeskartellamt, the German competition authority. The German federal cartel office asked the Commission if it might examine the operation as the combined market shares of the parties concerned could create dominant positions on the regional markets for the incineration of municipal and commercial waste in Lower Saxony, Bremen and Hamburg. The notifying parties are in fact all present in waste management. BEG, which is currently under the exclusive control of the town of Bremerhaven, also operates in waste management and evacuation of waste water, including the construction and operation of the necessary plant and installations. It operates a waste incineration plant, a central waste water treatment plant and a second water treatment plant in Bremerhaven. The Commission considered that the conditions were met for allowing the dossier to be referred back to the relevant national authorities.