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

The transaction mainly concerns the sale of fertilizers for the agricultural sector.
The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given that Ameropa Biotech has negligible activities in the European Economic Area and the limited combined market position of the companies resulting from the proposed transaction. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.

The Swiss group Ameropa, the largest exporter of cereals in the Danube region and the largest independent producer of fertilizers in the world, aim to form an alliance that would have a significant impact on the Romanian market.

The move has been in preparation since 2023, when the Swiss holding created the company Ameropa Biotech to import and distribute the products manufactured by the Spanish company to Romanian farmers.

Ameropa owns strategic assets for the agricultural inputs market in Romania: the leading fertilizer producer Azomures and the port operator Chimpex. The group also acquired stakes in the distribution companies Promat Comimpex and Agroind Cauaceu in 2019, as well as storage facilities in several regions.

The Swiss group is the largest exporter of cereals in Romania. It has silos and warehouses in Olt, Constanța, Brăila, Iasi, Tulcea, Ialomița, Calarasi, Teleorman, Timiș.
Fertinagro's role in the new company is intended to be to finance grain producers through its agricultural inputs.