The European Commission previously informed UPM and Sappi Limited that it had a preliminary view that their proposed joint venture could restrict competition in the markets for various types of printing papers.
The Finnish UPM-Kymmene and Sappi, listed in South Africa, must face an antitrust veto from the European Union against the joint venture proposal of EUR 1.42 billion (US$ 1.66 billion) in the paper sector, after the companies decided not to offer concessions to respond to competitive concerns, people familiar with the issue said. The companies also failed to convince the regulators about the merits of the agreement at a closed-door hearing earli…