The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has raised concerns over the merger of veterinary health service providers, Eville and Jones (E&J) and Vorenta Group.
The regulator has given E&J five working days to respond to its concerns over potential anti-competitive behavior that could force consumers to pay more for inspections. If the response is unsatisfactory, the CMA may launch a second phase inquiry.
The regulator believes that this could result in consumers paying higher prices for these services than they would have without the merger.
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The CMA’s concerns are based on an initial investigation into the merger, which found that E&J and Vorenta were two of only three providers of Official Veterinarian (OV) services in some parts of the UK. OV services involve inspections of animals and animal products to ensure they meet health and safety.
The two companies first announced their agreement to join forces in September 2022 in a deal estimated to give the combined business annual revenues of more than £50 million.
