30 October 2009: Acquisition of Keolis by the SNCF group
The European Commission defers to the Autorité de la concurrence
the examination of the Keolis/SNCF merger operation
At the request of the Autorité de la concurrence, the European Commission, in a decision dated 29 October 2009, has deferred to the Autorité the examination of the acquisition of the Keolis company by the SNCF Group and the Caisse de Dépôt et de Placement du Québec (CDPQ). the examination of the Keolis/SNCF merger operation
The Keolis company is a private operator of public transportation by bus and coach, primarily in France. It also provides other activities related to transportation such as consulting, management of remote terminals, or park and ride areas, within the framework of public service delegations.
Last September, the SNCF and the CDPQ had notified to the European Commission their operation. However, the latter considered that the Autorité de la concurrence was the best placed authority to assess the merger’s effects on competition.