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REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 19/12/2005

In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32005M4018

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 19.12.2005

SG-Greffe(2005) D/207455

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

PUBLIC VERSION

To the notifying party

Dear Sir,

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.4018- E D & F Man/Safic Alcan (Natural Products) Notification of 18./11./2005 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No.

139/20041 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C 295 of 26./11./2005, page.18.

1.On 18.11.2005, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 by which the undertaking E D & F Man Holdings (ìManî, UK), acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the Natural Products division of the undertaking Safic Alcan SAS (ìSafic NPî, France) by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-for Man : commodities trading of sugar, molasses, alcohol, coffee, cocoa and fish oil, liquid storage, animal feed manufacture;

-for Safic NP : commodity trading of tropical vegetable oils, natural rubber and latex.

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 5, subparagraph b, of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) 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) Neelie KROES Member of the Commission

2OJ C 56, 05.3.2005 p.32.

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