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REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 14/09/2004

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 32004M3509

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 14.09.2004

SG-Greffe(2004) D/204023-204024

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

PUBLIC VERSION

To the notifying party

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

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.3509 ñ Rabobank/KBC/JV Notification of 17.08.2004 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1139/2004 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C 214, 26.08.2004, page 3.

1.On 17.08.2004, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 by which the undertaking Coˆperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank B.A. (ìRabobankî, Netherlands) and KBC Bank N.V. (ìKBCî, Belgium) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of a newly created company, constituting a joint venture.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-- for undertakings Rabobank and KBC: financial services, including banking, insurance and asset management

-- for the JV: provision of services for the administrative processing of securities and derivatives transactions.

2.After examination of the notification, the Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 and of paragraph

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.

5, subparagraph a, of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No 139/2004.

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

2Available on DG COMP website:: http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/mergers/legislation/consultation/simplified_tru.pdf.

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