The European Commission gave a conditional green light Tuesday to the Astrium satellite joint venture between Matra Marconi Space and DaimlerChyrsler’s aerospace unit DASA.
Michael Tscherny, spokesman for EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti, said Matra Marconi Space will sell off its mechanical wheels operations to ease Brussels’ competition concerns regarding the venture.
The two parties will also grant licenses for the manufacture and sale of various equipment products supplied by DASA to Alcatel Space Industries, which is Matro Marconi’s main rival in military communication satellites.
Contracts to set up the joint venture were signed in October last year, but the commission — which acts as Europe’s competition watchdog — opened a full investigation in December.
It feared that the hook-up would result in Astrium becoming the overwhelming force in scientific and observation satellites, space infrastructure and launchers in Europe.
DASA annouced in October that Astrium would be Europe’s leading space group, and one of the biggest on Earth, with sales of 2.25 billion euros (2.4 billion dollars) and a workforce for more than 8,000.
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