The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the acquisition of Coolblue by HAL Investments, both of the Netherlands. Coolblue is an online retailer of a variety of consumer electronics, including computers and electrical household appliances. HAL Investments is an investment company active in a variety of sectors including media, financial services, building supplies and the maritime sector. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because none of the companies controlled by HAL Investments is active in the same markets as Coolblue. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.8012.
