EU clears France's Diester to buy Belgium's Oleon

BRUSSELS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - French biodiesel firm Diester Industrie SAS, controlled by oilseeds group Sofiproteol, gained permission from EU competition regulators on Thursday to acquire Belgian oleochemicals maker Oleon Holding NV.

Oleon uses natural oils and fats to produce chemicals such as glycerin and esters, which are then used by manufacturers of industrial products like detergents, cosmetics and paint.

The activities of Sofiproteol and Oleon mainly overlap in the production and sale of biodiesel and glycerine, a biodiesel by-product, the European Commission, which polices competition in the 27-country European Union, said in a statement.

"The Commission's investigation found that the merged entity would not be in a position to close off competing refined glycerine manufacturers' access to crude glycerine supplies," the statement said.

"The Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition," it said.

The value of the deal was not disclosed when announced in November. (Reporting by Dale Hudson)