Commission clears takeover of Guardian Royal Exchange by AXA April 30, 1999 X LinkedIn Email Show more sharing options Copy Link URLCopied! Print X LinkedIn Email On April 9 1999 the European Commission gave its approval to the takeover by the French insurer AXA of the UK insurance company Guardian Royal Exchange (GRE). Unlock this content. The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers. To unlock this content: Take a Free Trial or Login