The European Commission has approved Kimberly-Clark’s acquisition of Kenvue under the EU Merger Regulation, subject to full compliance with commitments offered by the US personal care giant.

The clearance follows an investigation by the Commission into the proposed transaction. Regulators raised preliminary competition concerns regarding the supply of tampons in Czechia, Estonia, and Slovakia, warning that the acquisition as initially notified would remove an important competitor in markets where few suppliers operate.

To address these horizontal overlap concerns across the European Economic Area, Kimberly-Clark offered to divest its entire European tampon and feminine hygiene business. The remedy package includes all intellectual property rights, technical know-how, associated key employees, and client relationships for brands such as Kotex, Lidie, Camelia, and Record.

Following a market test and subsequent modifications, the Commission concluded that the commitments fully resolve the competition risks. In its decision, the Commission also approved Turkish fast-moving consumer goods distributor Dilek Gıda Üretim ve Pazarlama Ticaret A.Ş. as the suitable purchaser for the divested assets, confirming it possesses the financial resources and operational expertise to maintain the business as an active competitive force.

An independent trustee will monitor the implementation of the commitments under the supervision of the European Commission.