The Czech competition authority, ÚOHS, has granted approval for the acquisition of AUTO VOLF spol. s r.o. by the Austrian insurance company Vienna Insurance Group via its subsidiary Global Repair Centres (GRC) s.r.o. This decision is final and indicates that the merger will not lead to a substantial distortion of competition in the market.

Global Repair Centres operates several car dealerships across the Czech Republic, including Autocentrum Lukáš s.r.o., AUTONOVA BRNO s.r.o., and others. GRC is part of the Vienna Insurance Group, which also includes companies like Kooperativa pojišťovna, a.s. and Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna, a.s.

AUTO VOLF specializes in the sale and authorized repair of Škoda, Volvo, and Kia vehicles. Established in 1993, it has branches in Plzeň, Domažlice, Stříbro, and Holýšov.

In its assessment, ÚOHS examined various sectors where the companies operate, including retail sales of new and used vehicles, service provision including spare parts, and the mediation of mandatory and comprehensive insurance, as well as consumer loans for vehicle purchases and operational leasing.

The authority concluded that the ownership change of AUTO VOLF does not raise concerns regarding significant competition disruption in any of the defined markets.