Austrian firm Raiffeisen Ware Austria (RWA) and sugar and juice producer Agrana have announced the merger of their respective fruit juice businesses. RWA's Ybbstaler Fruit Austria and Agrana Juice Romania are be transferred to a joint venture controlled by the two parent companies.

The resulting company now operates 14 production facilities in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and China and is expected to generate revenues of approximately EUR 350 million. The European Commission (EC) approved the merger's compliance with competition law at the beginning of April.

Legal assistance in Romania was provided by local law firm bpv Grigorescu Stefanica.

Agrana Juice Vaslui, which started activity in 1997, produces apple juice and exports all its production. It is majority owned by Austrian Agrana, which also owns two sugar factories in Romania.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com