07/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - Mergers: Starbev/Molson Coors. On Thursday 7 June, the European Commission cleared the planned acquisition of StarBev Holdings S.à r.l., registered in Luxembourg and headquartered in the Czech Republic, by the US based Molson Coors Brewing Company, both active in the brewing and distribution of beer. The Commission's investigation found that the deal (notified on 2 May) would not raise competition concerns because it would not significantly alter the market structure in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom, the only country where the two brewers' businesses overlap. Given the small market share increase resulting from the transaction, the relatively low combined market shares of the parties and the presence of a number of credible competitors, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise competition concerns. StarBev is active in the brewing and distribution of beer primarily in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro. Molson Coors is active world-wide in the brewing, sale, marketing and distribution of beer. Its operations are primarily located in the US, Canada and the UK. (FG/transl.fl)