Brussels, 04/08/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 4 August 2008, the European Commission approved the planned acquisition of BarcoVision of Belgium by the Italian company Itema. Itema produces textile machinery while BarcoVision manufactures sensors and other inputs for the textiles industry. Concerned that the new entity might stop supplying competing winder manufacturers with sensors, thereby raising the prices of winders for textile mills because Itema is one of the three main companies supplying textile mill owners with winders, which are machines used to stock yarn before it is woven or knitted (see EUROPE 9643), the Commission launched an investigation, which showed that the new entity would not have any commercial interest in restricting the supply of winders to Itema's competitors. The Commission also noted that the deal would reduce the number of big companies manufacturing sensors to two but its market assessment concluded that the other company would only have a limited ability to increase competitors' costs. Moreover, winder manufacturers would not find it difficult to make captors themselves if external suppliers try to hike prices. The European Commission concluded that the deal would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area. (C.D. /transl fl)