Dublin, Aug 15 - Irish drinks company C&C Group plc said on Wednesday the Irish Competition Authority had approved the sale of its soft drinks division to Britvic plc.
Britain's Britvic said in May it had agreed to buy the soft drinks and distribution businesses of C&C for 249.2 million euros ($338.5 million) in cash.
Britvic said the deal would give it some of the top soft drinks brands in Ireland and Northern Ireland, including Ballygowan water and Club carbonated fruit drinks.
It will also give Britvic the Irish rights to Pepsi and 7UP, to add to its rights on these drinks in Britain.
C&C, which makes Magners cider, plans to use 150 million euros of the proceeds to double its share buyback programme.