Romania's Competition Council starts investigation on brick producer takeover

The Competition Council has started an investigation on the transaction through which Austrian group Wienerberger plans to take over local brick producer Brikston. The competition authority is assessing the transaction’s effect on the local brick market. Wienerberger is market leader with four brick factories in Romania while Brikston has another such factory in Iasi, Eastern Romania. Following a preliminary analysis, the Competition Council came to the conclusion that the transaction may distort competition and grant Wienerberger a dominant position on the brick market, leading to an increase in prices, according to a press release issued by the institution. The investigation will take up to five months after which the competition watchdog will decide if it bans this deal or if it imposes certain conditions for approving it. editor@romania-insider.com