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Case No COMP/M.2215 - TECHINT / STELLA / JAMES JONES / SIRTI JV

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REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 22/11/2000

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 300M2215

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 22.11.2000 SG(2000)D/108639

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying parties

Dear Sirs,

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.2215 – Techint/Stella/James Jones/Sirti Notification of 23 October 2000 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No.

4064/891 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C 313/04, 1 November 2000, page 7.

1.On 23 October 2000, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which the undertakings Techint European Holding BV belonging to the Techint Group (« Techint », Netherlands), Stella International S.A. belonging to the Stella Group (« Stella », Luxembourg) and James Jones & Sons (« James Jones », UK) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of the undertaking Sirti Group (« Sirti », Italy) by way of public bid announced on 4 October 2000.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-- for Techint : manufacturing of seamless steel pipes and flat steel products.

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.

-- for Stella : production of treated wood poles for electrical and telecommunication networks.

-- for James Jones : sawmilling, pallet manufacturing, timber engineering and timber preservation.

-- for Sirti : engineering and construction of telecommunications network.

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 b of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of

certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/892.

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.

5.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 M. Monti, (Member of the Commission)

2OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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