The European Commission approves the acquisition of Carrefour Italy by NewPrinces, without risks to competition.

Brussels, December 1, 2025 The European Commission has approved, under the EU Regulation on economic concentrations, the complete acquisition of Carrefour Italia S.p.A. by the Italian company NewPrinces S.p.A. The Executive's assessment shows that the transaction does not raise competition issues in the sectors where the two companies are active, considering the limited impact on the Italian food retail market and supply chains.

In short The EU has approved NewPrinces to buy Carrefour Italia, after verifying that there will be no issues for consumers.

Carrefour Italia is the Italian part of the international supermarket chain, and NewPrinces is an Italian company that produces and distributes food.

The Commission has decided that the market in Italy remains competitive and that the transaction will not create a dominant position.

The decision was made within the usual procedure for analyzing concentrations, with the Commission concluding that the operation will not reduce the available supply for consumers and will not negatively affect competition among retailers or suppliers operating in Italy. The EU Regulation on economic concentrations requires the institution to check whether such a transaction can distort the market by creating a dominant position; in this case, the Commission found that the risks are minimal.

Carrefour Italia S.p.A. is the Italian subsidiary of the French group Carrefour, one of the largest food retailers in the world. Carrefour Italia operates supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience stores in several regions of the country. The transaction targets the local operations of the group, without affecting Carrefour's activities in other EU member states.

NewPrinces S.p.A. is an Italian company active in the food sector, particularly in the production and distribution of food products through retail chains. Although less well-known internationally, the company has consolidated operations in the production of packaged foods and their distribution in supermarkets and local stores. The acquisition of Carrefour Italia marks a significant expansion in the retail area, allowing NewPrinces to integrate its production and distribution networks into a broader portfolio of sales points.

The Commission notes that, despite the size of Carrefour Italia's operations, the combined position of the two companies will not create excessive concentration in the market. The Italian food retail segment remains highly competitive, with the presence of large national and international chains, discount networks, traditional commerce, and online platforms.

The European Executive's assessment was carried out through the standard procedure, without requiring an in-depth investigation (Phase II), which suggests that the transaction presents reduced risks for the functioning of the single market.

https://2eu.brussels/article/news/european-commission-approves-acquisition-of-carrefour-italia-by-newprinces-without-competition-risks