FoodLogistics.com |

The European Commission has approved a proposal to merge the U.S. and Puerto Rico operations of Miller Brewing Co. of Milwaukee and Coors Brewing Co. of Colorado, after finding no competitive concerns in Europe related to the deal, according to media reports.

The parent companies of Miller and Coors, London-based SABMiller plc and Denver-based Molson Coors Brewing Co. agreed this past October to merge the operations of Miller and Coors in an effort to better compete with dominant domestic brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., of St. Louis. Both SABMiller and Molson Coors sell beer throughout Europe.

SABMiller's European segment is the company's largest by sales volume. Molson Coors' Carling brand is the biggest-selling beer in the United Kingdom and the brewer's second-largest brand behind Coors Light, according to regulatory filings.

The European Commission, which evaluates competition concerns in the European Union, said Monday that it cleared the proposed merger, which would create a new company called MillerCoors.