Brussels, 08/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved the acquisition of British Vita by TPG IV, a private equity fund under US law. British Vita is a manufacturer and supplier of polymer-based foams, non-wovens and industrial and commercial polymer-based compounds, including SBC-based compounds (styrenic bloc co-polymers). TPG IV that invests in a variety of companies, operates in the manufacture and supply of synthetic elastomers, SBCs in particular, through Kraton Polymers LLC. After its inquiry, the Commission noted that any overlapping between Kraton and British Vita activity was minor. The vertical relationship between the companies in the SBC sector would not, moreover, be an obstacle to supplies of SBCs to other users given British Vita's limited consumption of such materials and the availability of alternative sources of supplies for this product.