HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive competition law advice to refining and petrochemical company ORLEN Unipetrol in its representation before the AMO (the Slovak Antimonopoly Office). After a detailed analysis of local markets the Slovak Antimonopoly Office approved ORLEN Unipetrol’s acquisition of control over OLIVA petrol stations without further conditions. The company was represented by our competition law specialists, partner Lenka Gachová and legal expert Dušan Valent, who provided unique know-how in the field of competition, mergers and regulation, and contributed to the further success of our client.

Following this transaction, ORLEN Unipetrol will expand its activities in Slovakia, namely by a total of 39 petrol stations (both existing and under construction). The transaction will thus lead to increased competitive pressure on the Slovak fuel retail market.

ORLEN Unipetrol is directly solely controlled by POLSKI KONCERN NAFTOWY ORLEN SPÓŁKA AKCYJNA (PKN ORLEN S.A.), Republic of Poland. The main business of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group is crude oil extraction and processing, and petrochemical production. It focuses primarily on crude oil processing and wholesale; petrochemical production and sale; fuel retail sale; and electricity distribution and sale. In Slovakia, the ORLEN Unipetrol Group is active in fuel wholesale, retail sale of fuel and other goods at petrol stations as well as provision of other services. In Slovakia, the undertaking in question plans to acquire 41 petrol stations from the MOL Group, which the AMO has taken into account when assessing this concentration.