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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 32004M3528

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 20/08/2004

SG-Greffe(2004) D/203609

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

to the notifying party

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

1.On 20.7.2004, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 by which the undertaking Swiss Re GB plc (ìSwiss Re GBî, UK) belonging to the group Swiss Reinsurance Company (ìSwiss Reî, Switzerland) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Life Assurance Holding Corporation Limited (ìLAHCî, UK) by way of purchase of shares

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

-- for undertaking Swiss Re: long term insurance business and reinsurance;

-- for undertaking LAHC: long term insurance business.

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.

3.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 c of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89.

4.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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