Brussels, 20/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has given the green light to the acquisition of joint control of Budapest Airport, Ferihegy Nemzetközi Repülõtér Üzemeltetõ (BARt) by HOCHTIEF AirPort GmbH (HTA) of Germany, which is controlled by HOCHTIEF Aktiengesellschaft (HT) also of Germany and by the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ) of Canada. HTA provides airport management services. CDPQ is a financial institution that manages public and private pension and insurance funds. BARt manages Budapest Ferihegy International Airport.
The Commission also approved the acquisition of sole control of Mammoet Holding B.V. (Mammoet) of the Netherlands by SHV Holdings (SHV), also of the Netherlands. Mammoet is active in heavy lifting operations, heavy road and off-road transport, rental of cranes, salvage and wreck removal and trade in new and used cranes and transport equipment. SHV has activities in trade in, and distribution of, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) food and non-food consumer articles and in the production of raw materials.
Finally, the Commission gave the go-ahead to the acquisition of joint control of Oakwood Financial Fund L.P. (Oakwood) of the Cayman Islands by Merrill Lynch Credit Products, LLP (MLCP) of the United States, a subsidiary of the Merrill Lynch & Co Inc group, and Compagnie Industriali Riunite S.p.A. (CIR) of Italy, controlled by the Compagnia Finanziaria De Benedetti. MLCP is active in investment banking, and CIR is active in the media, in industry and in finance. Oakwood is a fund active in the purchase of residential mortgages and other credit services to local authorities and SMEs. (cd)