Holland Pharma conditionally allowed to acquire parts of DA

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has provisionally cleared the acquisition of parts of the DA group by Holland Pharma Exploitatie B.V. More specifically, the parts to be acquired are DA Retailgroep B.V. and Retail Shared Service Centre B.V. This has been laid down by ACM in an emergency decision.

With the emergency decision, the activities of most DA drugstores can be continued. Chris Fonteijn, Chairman of the Board of ACM, explains: “In this emergency decision, we have provisionally cleared the acquisition. A fresh start can thus be realized quickly.”

Holland Pharma is a wholesale company trading in drugstore items, and is part of the Mosadex group. Holland Pharma acquires the wholesale activities of DA.

Emergency procedure for acquisition

Under normal circumstances, acquisitions can only be realized after all parties involved in the acquisition have notified ACM of their plans, and after the waiting period of four weeks has expired.

Holland Pharma has made a plausible case about the urgency of the situation, since waiting for four weeks would cause irreparable harm.

ACM will still issue a substantive decision regarding this acquisition. This emergency decision does not prejudice the substantive decision in any way.