The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's antitrust authority, has given the green light to the Energizer group's acquisition of Advanced Power Solutions (APS). Both companies are involved in the manufacturing and distribution of batteries, with Energizer being the second-largest battery brand in Germany, while APS primarily sells batteries under the Panasonic brand in Europe.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, noted that while Energizer holds a significant position in the market, it is still far behind the market leader, Varta. He emphasized that APS's Panasonic brand does not have a strong presence in Germany, and there are numerous other brands and manufacturers in the market. The authority concluded that the merger would not pose a significant risk to competition in any relevant battery segments.

The examination conducted by the Bundeskartellamt focused on the market for brand consumer batteries sold to retailers in Germany. This category includes various types of batteries commonly found in stores, such as AA and AAA cylindrical batteries, specialty batteries, and hearing aid batteries. The authority determined that the market dynamics differ significantly across EU Member States, which precluded the possibility of defining the market as transnational or pan-European.

Additionally, the presence of private-label batteries, which are produced for retailers by both brand manufacturers and contract manufacturers, adds further competition to the market. The acquisition has also been reported to the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), where it is currently under review.