Scandinavian-German dairy group Arla plans to merge with Milch-Union Hocheifel and the UK’s Milk Link. The transaction is currently awaiting approval from the EU competition authorities and the consent of the membership meetings of the companies involved.
A team from CMS Hasche Sigle led by Dr Malte Bruhns advised Milch-Union on all legal and tax aspects of this complex transaction.
The merger will see Arla expand its worldwide sales by around EUR1.5 billion to a total of EUR9 billion. It also creates the third-largest dairy in Germany. At its headquarters in Pronsfeld in the Eifel region, Milch-Union operates Europe’s most modern production facility for long-life dairy products. The company employs around 1,000 people and currently generates annual sales of some EUR700 million.