Brussels, 26/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has retroactively approved the acquisition, in 1999, of the Dutch joint-venture CVK by the German group Haniel and Dutch Cementbouw, subject to substantial commitments. Haniel manufactures wall construction material through its subsidiary Haniel Bau-Industrie. In the Netherlands, its presence in that sector is essentially exercised through its 50% indirect stake in CVK, a Dutch co-operative that pools all the Dutch producer's sand-lime business. The other members of the co-operative belong to either Haniel or Cementbouw, which holds the remaining 50%. It was during the investigation procedure of the takeover operations of the companies Fels-Werke and Ytong Holding by Haniel (see EUROPE of 11 April, p.16), that the Commission discovered the takeover of CVK by Haniel and Cementbouw in 1999, an operation that had not been notified at the time of the facts. The Commission therefore retroactively analysed the operation and reached the conclusion that it led to the emergence of a dominant position on the Dutch for wall building materials for load-bearing walls, with a market share in excess of 50%. Through CVK, Haniel and Cementbouw then became the only manufacturers of sand-lime products, the wall-building material most in demand by construction companies in the Netherlands who thus became dependent on CVK. So as to resolve this major competition problem, Haniel and Cementbouw have agreed to put an end to their joint control of CVK and its members. In addition, CVK will cease playing the role of sales co-operative and exercising joint marketing activities, giving rise to the emergence of price competition. On the basis of these commitments, the Commission retroactively approved the acquisition that goes back to 1999.