FrieslandCampina-Milcobel merger approved by European Commission

The European Commission last week approved the proposed merger between Dutch dairy producer FrieslandCampina and Belgian dairy company Milcobel, FrieslandCampina said. This approval was the last required worldwide from the authorities.

The merger agreement is part of the Dutch company's reorganization program, launched in 2023 to optimize its commercial operations, according to foodingredientsfirst.com. Once completed, the merger will create a new entity that will be one of the largest European dairy players.

FrieslandCampina, one of the world's largest dairy cooperatives, and Milcobel announced the merger plan in December 2024, aiming to create "a single, future-oriented international organization." Together, the two companies will operate in 30 countries, employ nearly 22,000 people worldwide and process a total volume of around 10 billion kg of milk from their members. This milk will be supplied by around 11,000 member dairy farms, owned by around 16,000 member farmers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and northern France.

At the time of the merger announcement, FrieslandCampina said that the deal would create a combined dairy cooperative that is future-oriented, resilient and able to seize opportunities in the dynamic global dairy market. The European Commission has investigated the proposed merger for potential competition concerns. The investigation was completed early last week, with the Commission concluding that the merger would not significantly impede competition in the relevant markets, including the trade in cheese and fresh dairy products in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

With the approval of the European Commission, FrieslandCampina and Milcobel can continue preparations for the merger.

The Dutch company announced that on December 16, 2025, the FrieslandCampina Board of Members and the Milcobel Extraordinary General Meeting will take the final decision on the merger, and the company boards and unions have been informed of the European Commission's decision.

Earlier this year, FrieslandCampina agreed to sell its Romanian operations to the Bonafarm Group, including the leading local brand, Napolact, and the production units in Cluj-Napoca and Târgu Mureş. The decision follows a strategic review of FrieslandCampina's activities in Romania and is part of the company's strategy to focus on core markets, high-value growth segments and markets where milk from FrieslandCampina member farmers can be optimally exploited.

Last month, the cooperative's subsidiary, FrieslandCampina Ingredients, launched a new application center in Singapore to boost the supply of its ingredient solutions to emerging markets in Asia-Pacific, including Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.