Germany: Acquisition of Vion Slaughterhouses by Tönnies Prohibited

The Bundeskartellamt, the German competition authority, prohibited Tönnies International Management GmbH's plans to acquire several companies and assets from Vion GmbH and Vion Beef B.V., particularly the slaughterhouses in Buchloe, Crailsheim, and Waldkraiburg. In June 2024, Vion announced its intention to discontinue most of its business activities in Germany and sell its facilities located there. During this process, the Bundeskartellamt and the European Commission examined several merger plans involving Vion's former facilities since the beginning of 2024, all of which were approved until now. The planned acquisition affects various areas related to slaughtering and meat sales, which must be differentiated from a competitive standpoint. These areas include the acquisition of cattle and pigs for slaughter, the slaughtering process, meat cutting, and meat product sales. The Bundeskartellamt concluded that the merger would lead to the creation or consolidation of a dominant ...