The Competition and Markets Authority on October 6 accepted final undertakings from Vandemoortele Group and brought the pastry merger inquiry to a full close, with the reference fully determined. The case began with an inquiry launch in October 2025, proceeded to a Phase 2 referral in April 2026 after Vandemoortele conceded a likely substantial lessening of competition, and ended with an August final report requiring Vandemoortele to sell a UK plant to remedy competition concerns in the supply of frozen laminated dough products to UK retail and foodservice customers.
Separately, the CMA confirmed clearance of the anticipated acquisition of OVO Energy by E.ON SE through E.ON UK. The inquiry, launched September 2, was decided on October 1, with the full-text decision published October 6, removing the last regulatory overhang on the energy-retail consolidation.
The authority also logged a new October 6 referral on a proposed Defra subsidy to the Canal & River Trust, a minor addition to its state-aid docket. The nexfibre-Substantial Phase 2 inquiry remains live, with responses to its interim report due October 23, and the BT-TalkTalk public-interest review is on a separate fast track with a CMA report due October 19.