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EU Antitrust Regulators Clear Klesch Group's Gelsenkirchen Refinery Deal

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The European Commission said on Tuesday it had approved the acquisition of Germany's Gelsenkirchen refinery by Malta-based Klesch Group under the EU Merger Regulation, concluding the deal would not raise competition concerns.

The transaction involves acquiring sole control of the Gelsenkirchen refinery, operated by Ruhr Oel and Gelsenkirchen Raffinerie Netz, both based in Germany.

The energy firms primarily supply petroleum and petrochemical products.

The Commission said its investigation found that the companies' combined market position following the transaction would remain limited, reducing the likelihood of competition issues.

The deal was reviewed under the European Union's simplified merger review procedure, which is typically used for transactions unlikely to significantly affect competition in the bloc.

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