Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.2694 — Metronet/Infraco) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2002-05-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Commission, building, economic concentration, energy distribution, merger control, provision of services, rail transport, transport infrastructure

C 127/24

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

29.5.2002

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.2694 — Metronet/Infraco)

(2002/C 127/08)

(Text with EEA relevance)

1.
On 17 May 2002 the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to
Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1310/97 (2),
by which the undertakings Metronet SSL and Metronet BCV, controlled jointly by WS Atkins plc (WS
Atkins), Balfour Beatty plc (Balfour Beatty), RWE Aktiengesellschaft (RWE), and Seeboard Group plc
(Seeboard), acquire, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Regulation, control of Infraco SSL and
Infraco BCV by means of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

— WS Atkins: Provision of professional, technologically based consultancy and support services. It also
provides traditional engineering, management consultancy, property services and related technological
consultancy and the management of outsourced facilities,

— Belfour Beatty: Building, building management and services, civil and specialist engineering services, rail

and engineering services and investments and developments,

— RWE: Provision of energy, water, environmental and industrial services and printing systems. RWE
owns Thames Water plc which provides water and wastewater operations, products and services,

— Seeboard: The distribution and supply of electricity to domestic, commercial and industrial customers,

gas supply, electricity generation and electrical contracting,

— Infraco SSL: To maintain, refurbish and renew London Underground's infrastructure including the
trains, signals, tracks, stations, bridges and tunnels of the Metropolitan, District, Circle, Hammersmith
and City and East London lines. Currently wholly owned by London Underground Limited,

— Infraco BCV: To maintain, refurbish and renew infrastructure including the trains, signals, track,
the Bakerloo, Central, Victoria and Waterloo and City lines.

stations, bridges and tunnels of
Currently wholly owned by London Underground Limited.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified concentration could fall within

3.
the scope of Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit

4.
proposed operation.

their possible observations on the

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication.
Observations can be sent by fax (No (32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under reference
COMP/M.2694 — Metronet/Infraco, to:

European Commission,
Directorate-General for Competition,
Directorate B — Merger Task Force,
J-70,
B-1049 Brussels.

(1) OJ L 395, 30.12.1989, p. 1; corrigendum: OJ L 257, 21.9.1990, p. 13.
(2) OJ L 180, 9.7.1997, p. 1; corrigendum: OJ L 40, 13.2.1998, p. 17.