EN

Case No COMP/M.4817 - AVIVA ITALIA HOLDING S.p.A. / BANCO POPOLARE SOC. COOP / NOVARA ASSICURA S.p.A.

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 06/12/2007

In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32007M4817

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 06.12.2007

SG-Greffe(2007) D/207598

PUBLIC VERSION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

To the notifying parties:

Dear Madam and Sirs,

Subject: Case No COMP/M.4817 ñ Aviva Italia holding S.p.A. / Banco popolare Soc. Coop/ Novara Assicura S.p.A. Notification of 30 October 2007 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No. C270, 13/11/2007, page 14

1.On 30/10/2007, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 by which the undertakings Aviva Italia Holding S.p.A. (ìAvivaî, Italy), belonging to the group Aviva ("Aviva Group", UK) and Banco Popolare Soc. Coop. (ìBanco Popolareî, Italy), belonging to the group Banco Popolare ("Banco Popolare Group", Italy) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of the undertaking Novara Assicura S.p.A. (ìNovara Assicuraî, Italy) by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

-- for undertaking Aviva: ownership and management of insurance companies

-- for undertaking Banco Popolare: retail banking

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.

- for undertaking Novara Assicura: insurance (non-life)

3.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, subparagraph c 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

3OJ C 56, 05.3.2005 p.32

2