18/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 16 September 2009, the European Commission authorised the planned acquisition of KOM-STROM AG (Germany) by a wholly-owned subsidiary of DONG Energy A/S (Denmark). Both companies are active in the supply of electricity and natural gas in Germany, so the Commission investigated horizontal overlaps, particularly the vertical relationship between the wholesale electricity market and the retail electricity supply market in the Lübeck region. The Commission found that the interested parties' combined share of the market would be less than 10% of all the other markets covered by any potential overlap and the deal therefore did not endanger competition. (C.D.)