Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has announced that the Securities and Exchange Commission has given clearance to the registration of Coca-Cola European Partners Limited.

This is related to the previously announced transaction wherein Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Iberian Partners (CCIP), and Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke (CCEG), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company, agreed to form a joint venture Coca-Cola European Partners Limited, with an aim to create the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, based on net sales.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of second quarter, 2016.

“Coca-Cola Enterprises is a leading western European marketer, producer, and distributor of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages.”

CCE has set the date for a shareowner meeting in May to approve the transaction.

Coca-Cola Enterprises is a leading western European marketer, producer, and distributor of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages, and one of the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers.

It is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.

CCE has 17 manufacturing sites across Europe, where the company manufactures nearly 90% of its products in the markets in which they are consumed.