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REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 17/05/2001

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 301M2329

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 17.05.2001

MERGER PROCEDURE

ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

PUBLIC VERSION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying parties

Dear Sirs,

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.2329 ñ SociÈtÈ GÈnÈrale / Deufin Notification of 09.04.2001 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 14064/89 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C 114, 19.04.2001, page 4.

1.On 09.04.2001, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which the undertaking SociÈtÈ GÈnÈrale, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Genefitec, acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of Deufin, France, by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

-- for SociÈtÈ GÈnÈrale : the three main areas of activities of this full-service bank of international dimension are : retail banking, asset management and investment banking and corporate finance. SociÈtÈ GÈnÈrale is also active in specialised financial services activities notably through its wholly-owned subsidiary Genefitec.

-- for Deufin : asset-backed lending, asset-backed leasing, factoring, passenger car financing and full fleet management.

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.

Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Bruxelles/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium Telephone: exchange 299.11.11 Telex: COMEU B 21877. Telegraphic address: COMEUR Brussels.

3.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.

4.To the extent that restrictions specified by the parties are directly related and necessary to the implementation of the concentration, these restrictions are covered pursuant to Article 6(1)(b), second subparagraph, of 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,

2OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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