EN

Case No COMP/M.3510 - SHELL / SAUDI ARAMCO / SHOWA SHELL

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 20/08/2004

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 32004M3510

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 20/08/2004

SG-Greffe(2004) D/203607/8

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying parties

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

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.3510 ñ Saudi Aramco/ Shell/ Showa Shell Notification of 19/07/2004 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No. C 191 of 27.07.2004 page 5

1.On 19/07/2004, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 by which the undertaking Saudi Arabian Oil Company (ëSaudi Aramcoí), Saudi Arabia acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of the undertaking Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. (ëShowa Shellí) Japan by way of purchase of shares from Royal Dutch/ Shell Group (ëShellí UK) who will also acquire joint control. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

--for Saudi Aramco : exploration, production and marketing of crude oil and refined oil products.

--for Showa Shell : refining of crude oil and the distribution and sale of refined oil products

1OJ L 24, 29.1.2004 p. 1

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

-for Shell : exploration, production and sale of oil and natural gas, the production and sale of chemicals, power generation and the production of energy from renewable sources

2.After examination of the notification, the Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 and of paragraph 5, subparagraph a, of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No139/2004.

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 (EC) No. 139/2004.

For the Commission

(signed) Mario MONTI Member of the Commission

2Adopted by the Commission on 20 July 2004 and available on DG COMP website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/mergers/legislation/consultation/simplified_tru.pdf.

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