Belgian competition authority considers closing investigation after Dossche Mills abandons Ceres acquisition.
The Belgian Competition Authority (BMA) has announced that it is considering closing its investigation into the planned acquisition of Ceres' artisanal bakery activities by competitor Dossche Mills.
This decision follows confirmation from both companies that they have abandoned the transaction.
The investigation was launched on January 21, 2025, after the BMA identified potential competition concerns regarding the merger of the two largest flour producers for artisanal bakeries in Belgium. The probe was initiated under Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article IV.1 of the Belgian Code of Economic Law, which prohibit anti-competitive agreements between enterprises.
Although the transaction was not subject to mandatory notification under Belgium’s merger control rules, the BMA intervened preemptively, in line with the European Court of Justice's Towercast ruling. The authority conducted a swift and thorough investigation, gathering extensive data and consulting industry stakeholders to assess the potential impact of the acquisition on market competition.
Dossche Mills and Ceres were kept informed throughout the process and received preliminary conclusions from the BMA on March 3 and 4, 2025. Following their responses, the BMA carried out additional investigative actions and shared their findings with the companies on March 17 and 18, 2025.
Ultimately, Dossche Mills and Ceres formally confirmed the termination of their acquisition agreements. As a result, the BMA now considers the investigation to be without purpose and plans to close it in the coming days, pending the verification of any obligations arising from the transaction's termination.
The case highlights the BMA’s proactive role in monitoring market concentration and ensuring fair competition within Belgium’s artisanal bakery flour sector.
