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REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 23/06/2008

In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32008M5062

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 23.06.2008

SG-Greffe(2008) D/204031 C(2008)3234

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying parties

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

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.5062 - SOFINCO/ SARACEN/ FORSO Notification of 22/05/2008 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No. C 134 of 31/05/2008, page 11.

1.On 22/05/2008, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 by which the undertaking Sofinco S.A. ("Sofinco", France), a wholly owned subsidiary of Crédit Agricole S.A. ("CA", France), and Saracen HoldCo AB ("Saracen", Sweden), a wholly owned subsidiary of FCE Bank Plc controlled by Ford Motor Company, acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of the undertaking Forso Nordic AB ("Forso", Sweden) by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

-- for Sofinco: consumer financing.

-- for CA: banking, private banking, financial services, life and non-life insurances.

1OJ L 24, 29.1.2004 p. 1

Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.

-- for Saracen: holding company of Ford Motor Company, which manufactures and distributes motor vehicles.

-- for Forso: financing and administrative services.

2.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(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) Philip LOWE Director General

2OJ C 56, 05.3.2005 p.32

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