On 10 April the Official Journal of the European Union has published the non-opposition to a notified concentration in the Case COMP/M.5024 Tui/Royal Caribbean Cruises/JV, in a decision of the Commission.

On 7 March 2008, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with with the EEA, it said in the European Economic Area, which includes the 27 EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. . This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.

TUI AG (.TUI.) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (.RCL.) intend to form a Joint Venture company that will develop and operate a cruise line under the .TUI Cruises. brand targeted at customers in the fast growing, but under-served, cruise markets in German-speaking countries. The Joint Venture.s products will be differentiated from existing RCL and TUI cruises and will provide more choice for German-speaking consumers and add more targeted capacity to the marketplace.

The Joint Venture will initially own and operate one ship. It is expected that the Joint Venture will thereafter expand its business by acquiring two additional (newbuild) ships to begin service in or around 2011 or 2012.

TUI and RCL will each hold a 50% shareholding in the Joint Venture. RCL is a global cruise operator currently operating four cruise lines with a total of 35 cruise ships. TUI is the ultimate parent company of an international group with its core activities in tourism and in container liner shipping. As to tourism, the TUI group includes tour operators, travel agents, airlines, hotels and also ocean cruise lines.
 

• TUI AG (.FRA:TUI.) is a Germany-based company that concentrates on the two growth sectors of tourism and shipping. In both these divisions TUI commands a leading market position: number 1 among the European travel companies and number 5 in the world of container shipping. In the financial year 2007 the turnover of TUI AG was €21.9 billion with total earnings of €616 million (underlying EBITA). On 31 December 2007 the headcount totalled 68,500 employees. It has four division: TUI Travel PLC, TUI Hotels & Resorts, Container shipping and Cruises.

• Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (.NYSE:RCL.) appeals to couples and singles in their 30s to 50s as well as family vacationers. Clients are about 80 percent are North American. In  2007 net income of $603.4 million and 21 Fleet.

The information on this news is non-binding and cannot be used as a guide to the Commission’s position, or companies’s obligations. The only such binding elements are formal Commission Decisions themselves.