Case No COMP/M.3119 - BP / ALFA GROUP / ACCESS / RENOVA / TNK-BP

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 25/07/2003

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 303M3119

Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-2985 Luxembourg

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 25/07/2003

SG (2003) D/231041-231042-231043-231044

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying parties

Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

1.On 26.06.2003, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which the undertakings BP plc (ëBPí, United Kingdom), Alfa Finance Holdings SA (ëAlfaí, Luxembourg), Access (ëAccessí, USA) belonging to the group Al Petroleum Holdings LLC and Renova (ëRenovaí, Luxembourg) belonging to the group Arsan Holding Sarl acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of the undertaking TNK-BP (ëJVí) by way of an acquisition of shares.

1OJ L 395, 30.12.1989 p. 1; corrected version OJ L 257 of 21.9.1990, p. 13, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1310/97, OJ L 180, 9.7.1997, p. 1, corrigendum in OJ L 40, 13.2.1998, p. 17.

Commission europÈenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

ñ BP: exploration, production and marketing of crude oil and natural gas; refining, marketing, supply and transportation of oil; petrochemicals and related products; solar energy,

ñ Alfa: interests in oil, commercial and investment banking, commodities trading, telecommunication, insurance, retail trade and food processing,

ñ Access: interests in oil, aluminium, coal, banking and telecommunications,

ñ Renova: interests in oil, aluminium, coal and banking,

ñ JV: oil and gas exploration, production, refining and marketing principally in Russia and Ukraine.

2.After examination of the notification, the Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 and of paragraph 4, subparagraph c, of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89.

For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the common market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89.

For the Commission

signed Mario MONTI Member of the Commission

2OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

2