EU clears Degussa purchase by Rhône Capital and Triton

ERJ staff report (DS)

Brussels -- The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the German chemicals company Evonik's carbon black business by the private equity firms Rhône Capital of the US and Triton, based in Jersey.

After examining the operation, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly alter the structure of the market for carbon black as neither Rhône Capital nor Triton has any ownership interests in any business that manufactures or sells carbon black.

As one of the investment funds run by Triton controls Rütgers, a supplier of carbon black oil which is the chemical intermediary product used to produce carbon black, the Commission also investigated the vertical relationship arising from the proposed transaction. The investigation confirmed that the transaction will neither result in the shutting out of competing carbon black producers as there are many alternative suppliers of carbon black oil on the market, nor in the shutting out of other suppliers of carbon black oil as there are sufficient alternative outlets for their carbon black oil production.

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Press release from EU Commission