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REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 01/12/2003

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 303M3290

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 01-12-2003

SG (2003) D/233147

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying party

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

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.3290 ñ General Electric/ Sophia Notification of 03.11.2003 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No. 1310/97 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No. C 271, 12.11.2003, page 49.

1.On 3 November 2003, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89, by which the undertaking GE Real Estate Investissement France (ìGEREIFî, France), belonging to the General Electric group (ìGEî, USA), acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Sophia SA (ìSophiaî, France), by way of public bid announced on 3 November 2003.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-- for GEREIF : acquisition vehicle specially established for the transaction ;

-- for GE : diversified industrial, technology and services group, active in various fields, including real estate ;

1OJ L 395, 30.12.1989 p. 1; corrigendum: OJ L 257, 21.9.1990, p. 13.

2OJ L 180, 9. 7. 1997, p. 1; corrigendum 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.

- for Sophia : ownership and management of commercial real estate portfolio, mainly located in France.

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.

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

3OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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