The Bundeskartellamt has cleared the acquisition of AudioNova International B.V., Rotterdam (the Netherlands), by Sonova AG, Stäfa (Switzerland). With the retail chains Geers and hörGut the AudioNova group operates over 550 hearing aid retail outlets across Germany. The Sonova group is the leading hearing aid manufacturer in Germany and sells them to hearing aid dispensers. With the hearing aid retail chains Fiebing and Vitakustik the company is also active in Germany on the market for the sale and fitting of hearing aids to final customers. With the acquisition the Sonova group will become one of the largest hearing aid retail chains in Germany.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt: "Although Sonova can expand its strong market position in Germany, the merger did not fufil the preconditions for a prohibition order. Our examination of the markets affected has shown that after the merger there will still be sufficient competitive pressure from other market participants both in the manufacture and distribution of hearing aids to dispensers as well as in the sale and fitting of hearing aids to final customers by dispensers."

The merger is not expected to foreclose these markets to the detriment of other manufacturers or other hearing aid dispensers. There are also no competition concerns about the merger from the perspective of final customers. There will still be sufficient alternatives in the regional markets examined for the fitting and purchase of hearing aids. Some of the regional markets are also so-called deminimis markets, where a merger cannot be prohibited because the turnover achieved does not reach the thresholds required under the German Competition Act.