# C_2009234EN.01001401.xml

| 29.9.2009 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 234/14 |
| --------- | -- | -------------------------------------- | -------- |

---

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.5584 — Belgacom/BICS/MTN)

(Text with EEA relevance)

2009/C 234/06

| 1. | On 21 September 2009, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004( 1 ) by which the undertaking Belgacom S.A. (‘Belgacom’, Belgium) will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Belgacom International Carrier Services S.A. (‘BICS’, Belgium) by way of a series of contracts resulting in sole control by Belgacom. |
| -- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
—
for Belgacom: telecommunications operator in Belgium active in the full range of telecommunications services providing wholesale and retail services, fixed and mobile telecommunications, voice and data services mainly at national level, —
for BICS: global carrier of voice, data and value added services to wireless and wireline and service providers. These activities include services currently carried out by BICS as a joint venture between Belgacom and Swisscom Belgium S.A. (‘Swisscom’) and international wholesale telecommunications activities (‘MTN-ICS’) which will be acquired from MTN (Dubai) Limited as a result of the proposed transactions, —
for MTN-ICS: international telecommunications services. | — | for Belgacom: telecommunications operator in Belgium active in the full range of telecommunications services providing wholesale and retail services, fixed and mobile telecommunications, voice and data services mainly at national level, | — | for BICS: global carrier of voice, data and value added services to wireless and wireline and service providers. These activities include services currently carried out by BICS as a joint venture between Belgacom and Swisscom Belgium S.A. (‘Swisscom’) and international wholesale telecommunications activities (‘MTN-ICS’) which will be acquired from MTN (Dubai) Limited as a result of the proposed transactions, | — | for MTN-ICS: international telecommunications services. |
| -- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| — | for Belgacom: telecommunications operator in Belgium active in the full range of telecommunications services providing wholesale and retail services, fixed and mobile telecommunications, voice and data services mainly at national level, | | | | | | |
| — | for BICS: global carrier of voice, data and value added services to wireless and wireline and service providers. These activities include services currently carried out by BICS as a joint venture between Belgacom and Swisscom Belgium S.A. (‘Swisscom’) and international wholesale telecommunications activities (‘MTN-ICS’) which will be acquired from MTN (Dubai) Limited as a result of the proposed transactions, | | | | | | |
| — | for MTN-ICS: international telecommunications services. | | | | | | |

| 3. | On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. 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 or 22967244) or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5584 — Belgacom/BICS/MTN, 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.

---