Brussels, 03/04/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has opened an investigation into Sea-Invest's acquisition of joint control in Dutch company EMO-EKOM. The latter is active in the loading, unloading and storage of iron ore and coal the ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, the so called ARA range. “It is crucial that the Commission carefully analyses the impact of this merger in view of increasing demand for cargo handling services for coal, limited customer choice and a risk of price increases,” commented Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, responsible for the dossier. EMO-EKOM is number one on the market and its current shareholders include ThyssenKrupp Veerhaven B.V. (“TKV”), Manufrance BV and HES Beheer N.V. During its initial investigation, the Commission identified serious concerns about competition within the EEA. Furthermore, the merger might also lead to co-ordination between the other controlling shareholders in the coal and iron ore cargo handling market in the ARA range (HES and Manufrance).