Dutch competition watchdog ACM has decided more research is needed into the proposed takeover of holiday park company Landal GreenParks by sector peer Roompot.

Roompot said in June it planned to take over Landal which has 100 parks in nine different countries. The deal means Roompot will have 300 parks in 11 countries, with a total of 32,000 holiday homes.

The ACM said on Monday that the planned acquisition may lead to Roompot and Landal gaining too strong a position on the market for holiday parks in the Netherlands.

In addition, Roompot and Landal are the most important providers of rental, marketing and management services for holiday parks owned by third parties. This also merits further investigation to assess whether Roompot and Landal would be able to raise the prices of these services or to reduce their quality, the ACM said.

If the two companies decide to press ahead with the merger, they will now have to apply for a licence. The ACM will then carry out a formal investigation to assess what the consequences are for consumers.

‘The key question is how much competitive pressure Roompot and Landal currently exert on each other,’ the ACM said, ‘and what competitive pressure Roompot and Landal experience from other operators of holiday parks and holiday accommodation.’