Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE  
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel,   BELGIË  
 
Tel: +32 229- 91111. Fax: +32 229 -64301. E -mail: COMP -MERGER -REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu.  
  EUROPEAN COMMISSION  
Brussels, 25.05.2020  
C(2020)  3488 final  
PUBLIC VERSION 
To the notifying parties  
Subject : Case M. 9797 — AUNDE Group /Toyota B oshoku/TB K awashima 
Automotive  Textile  (India ) JV 
Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation 
(EC) No  139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European 
Economic Area2  
Dear Sir or Madam,  
1. On 28 April  2020, the European Commission received notification of a proposed 
concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger  Regulation by which the 
undertakings AUNDE Achter & Ebels GmbH (Germany), belonging to AUNDE 
Group SE ("AUNDE", Germany)  and TB Kawashima Co. Ltd. ("TBK", Japa n) 
controlled by Toyota Boshoku Corporation ("TB", Japan)  acquire within the meaning 
of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control over the whole of 
the undertaking TB Kawashima Automotive Textile (India) Private Ltd. (the "Target", 
India) by way of purchase of shares .3 
2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:  
− for A UNDE Achter & Ebels GmbH : the development and production of 
automotive products, including yarns, technical fabrics, textile and leather covers.  
It is a subsidiary of Aunde, which focuses on the development and production of 
among others yarns, technical textiles, seat covers and foam parts for the 
automotive industry under the brands AUNDE, ISRINGHAUSEN and FEHRER 
for OEMs and suppliers to the automotive industry in Europe and worldwide,  
− for TBK:  the development, production and supply of various types of automotive 
textiles and interior fabrics particularly in Asia. It is an affiliate of TB, a Japanese 
automotive component manufacturer, which focuses on passenger car seats, seats 
                                                 
1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 ( the ‘Merger Regulation ’). With effect from 1 December 2009,  the Treaty on 
the Functioning of the European Union ( ‘TFEU ’) has introduced certain changes, such as the 
replacement of ‘Community ’ by ‘Union’  and ‘common market ’ by ‘internal market ’. The terminology 
of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.  
2  OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p.  3 (the ‘EEA Agreement ’). 
3  Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 152, 7.5.2020,  p. 3. 

2 for trains and aircrafts as well as on seat components and other interior and 
exterior vehicle components,  
− for the Target: the manufacture and distribution of interior textiles and fabrics for 
the automotive industry in India and in neighbouring countries.  
3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that 
the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger  Regulation and of 
paragraph 5( a) of the  Commission Notice on a simplified pro cedure for treatment of 
certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No  139/2004.4 
4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European 
Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it 
compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is 
adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger  Regulation  and Article 57 of 
the EEA Agre ement . 
For the Commission 
 
 
(Signed)  
Olivier GUERSENT  
Director -General  
                                                 
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.