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REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 20/02/2004

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 304M3249

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 20/02/2004

SG-Greffe(2004) D/200678

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

PUBLIC VERSION

To the notifying parties

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

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.3249 ñ Candover/JPMP/3i/ABB Notification of 20.01.2004 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. C24, 28.01.2004, page 25

1.On 20.01.2004, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which the undertakings Candover Partners Limited (ëCandoverí, United Kingdom), belonging to the Candover Investments plc group, JPMP Capital Corp. (ëJPMPí, USA), belonging to the J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. Group, and 3i Group plc (ë3ií, United Kingdom) belonging to the 3i Group plc, acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Regulation, joint control of parts of a business division of ABB Group Ltd (ëABBí, Switzerland) by way of purchase of shares and assets.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

-- Candover: private equity company,

-- JPMP: international private equity company,

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.

-- 3i: international venture capital company,

-- ABB (the acquired activities): products and services to the oil, gas and petroleum industry.

2.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 4064/89.

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

Mario MONTI Member of the Commission

3OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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