Disclaimer :

The Competition DG makes the information provided by the notifying parties in section 1.2 of Form CO available to the public in order to increase transparency. This information has been prepared by the notifying parties under their sole responsibility, and its content in no way prejudges the view the Commission may take of the planned operation. Nor can the Commission be held responsible for any incorrect or misleading information contained therein.

SECTION 1.2

Description of the concentration

This Transaction concerns the proposed move from joint to sole control of Richards Bay Mining (Proprietary) Limited and Richards Bay Titanium (Proprietary) Limited (collectively, “Richards Bay Minerals”) by Rio Tinto International Holdings Limited, a member of the Rio Tinto group of companies (“Rio Tinto”) by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

• Rio Tinto: mining, including aluminium, copper, diamonds and minerals, energy and iron ore, and including the mining, separation, beneficiation and smelting of rock ilmenite and mineral sands;

• Richards Bay Minerals: mining, separation, beneficiation and smelting of mineral sands.

The Transaction is a candidate for notification under the simplified procedure (Criterion 4 of Annex II of Council Regulation (EC) No 802/2004; and Article 5(d) of the Commission notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004, 2005/C 56/04).