Ameropa Biotech acquisition approved by EU regulators

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control over Ameropa Biotech, based in Romania, by Spain’s Fertinagro Biotech International and Switzerland’s Ameropa Holding.

This transaction primarily concerns the sale of fertilizers to the agricultural sector. The Commission determined that the merger would not pose competition concerns due to Ameropa Biotech’s limited operations within the European Economic Area and the relatively minor combined market position of the involved companies. The transaction was reviewed under the simplified merger review procedure.

Ameropa Holding, a Swiss group recognized as the largest exporter of cereals in the Danube region and the world’s largest independent producer of fertilizers, is seeking to form a strategic alliance that could significantly influence the Romanian market.

Since 2023, Ameropa Holding has been preparing for this merger by establishing Ameropa Biotech to facilitate the import and distribution of Fertinagro Biotech’s products to Romanian farmers. Ameropa Holding also controls several strategic assets in Romania’s agricultural inputs market, including the country’s largest fertilizer producer, Azomures, and the port operator Chimpex. In 2019, the company further expanded its market presence by acquiring stakes in distribution companies Promat Comimpex and Agroind Cauaceu, alongside various storage facilities across key regions.

With its extensive presence in Romania, Ameropa controls silos and warehouses in several key locations such as Olt, Constanța, Brăila, Iasi, Tulcea, Ialomița, Calarasi, Teleorman, and Timiș. Fertinagro’s role within this new venture is expected to include financing grain producers through agricultural inputs, further strengthening the partnership’s impact on Romania’s agricultural landscape.