# C_2013153EN.01000701.xml

| 31.5.2013 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 153/7 |
| --------- | -- | -------------------------------------- | ------- |

---

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.6454 — Limagrain/KWS/Genective JV)

(Text with EEA relevance)

2013/C 153/07

| 1. | On 23 May 2013, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 and following a referral pursuant to Article 4(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004( 1 ) by which the undertakings Vilmorin & Cie SA (‘VCO’, France) controlled by the Limagrain Group (‘Limagrain Group’, France) and KWS SAAT AG (‘KWS’, Germany) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the undertaking Genective SA (‘Genective’, France) by way of purchase of shares. |
| -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
—
for Limagrain Group: the Limagrain Group is an international agro-industrial group, specialized in field seeds, vegetable seeds and cereal products. The ultimate mother company is a French cooperative of 3 500 farmers: SCA Limagrain. VCO is the Limagrain Group holding company for its Seed Division which is active in research, breeding, production and sales of seeds mainly to the professional sector, —
for KWS: KWS's core business is research, breeding, production and sales of seed for agricultural crops of the temperate climatic zones, —
for Genective: Genective's business encompasses research and development of pre-commercial events containing one or more transgenic traits ready for introgression into commercial germplasm (IP products). The licensing of these IP products is also included in the business. | — | for Limagrain Group: the Limagrain Group is an international agro-industrial group, specialized in field seeds, vegetable seeds and cereal products. The ultimate mother company is a French cooperative of 3 500 farmers: SCA Limagrain. VCO is the Limagrain Group holding company for its Seed Division which is active in research, breeding, production and sales of seeds mainly to the professional sector, | — | for KWS: KWS's core business is research, breeding, production and sales of seed for agricultural crops of the temperate climatic zones, | — | for Genective: Genective's business encompasses research and development of pre-commercial events containing one or more transgenic traits ready for introgression into commercial germplasm (IP products). The licensing of these IP products is also included in the business. |
| -- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| — | for Limagrain Group: the Limagrain Group is an international agro-industrial group, specialized in field seeds, vegetable seeds and cereal products. The ultimate mother company is a French cooperative of 3 500 farmers: SCA Limagrain. VCO is the Limagrain Group holding company for its Seed Division which is active in research, breeding, production and sales of seeds mainly to the professional sector, | | | | | | |
| — | for KWS: KWS's core business is research, breeding, production and sales of seed for agricultural crops of the temperate climatic zones, | | | | | | |
| — | for Genective: Genective's business encompasses research and development of pre-commercial events containing one or more transgenic traits ready for introgression into commercial germplasm (IP products). The licensing of these IP products is also included in the business. | | | | | | |

| 3. | On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope the EC Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. |
| -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| 4. | The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by e-mail to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.6454 — Limagrain/KWS/Genective JV, to the following address:
European Commission Directorate-General for Competition Merger Registry 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel BELGIQUE/BELGIË | European Commission | Directorate-General for Competition | Merger Registry | 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel | BELGIQUE/BELGIË |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- | ----------------------------------- | --------------- | ---------------------- | --------------- |
| European Commission | | | | | | |
| Directorate-General for Competition | | | | | | |
| Merger Registry | | | | | | |
| 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel | | | | | | |
| BELGIQUE/BELGIË | | | | | | |

---

( 1 )  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘EC Merger Regulation’).

---