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| - The EU on Tuesday approved the buyout by Ray-Ban sunglasses maker EssilorLuxottica of Dutch optical retailer GrandVision, on condition that they sell 350 shops in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. The competition probe showed that, by acquiring a greater retail footprint, EssilorLuxottica could have limited the access of rival opticians to its branded eyewear products, a statement said. The companies agreed to the divestments, thereby winning the greenlight from Brussels, which had the power to stop the transaction. "The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns," the statement said. The buyout of GrandVision follows the blockbuster merger of French lens-manufacturer Essilor and Italy's Luxottica, which owns Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses. They merged in 2018 to create a new global giant in the sector, but an internal power struggle nearly ripped the new company apart. arp/dc/lth
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