Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9178 — Cargill/ADM/Grainbridge JV) — Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance.)
Date: 2018-12-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agro-industry, economic concentration, farming sector, food production, information technology industry, merger control








C_2018460EN.01004001.xml










21.12.2018   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 460/40






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.9178 — Cargill/ADM/Grainbridge JV)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2018/C 460/23)

1.   
On 13 December 2018, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Cargill, Incorporated (‘Cargill’, United States of America),










—


Archer Daniels Midland Company (‘ADM’, United States of America),










—


a newly formed joint venture (‘Grainbridge JV’ United States of America)




Cargill and ADM acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the newly formed joint venture
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
—   for Cargill: international production and marketing of food, and agricultural and risk management products and services; including grain and commodity merchandising, oilseed and grain processing and refining, flour milling, meat processing and financial services,
—   for ADM: the processing of oilseeds, corn, sugar, wheat and other agricultural commodities and the manufacture of vegetable oils and fats, vegetable protein, meal, corn, sweeteners, flour, biodiesel, ethanol, and other value added food and feed ingredients, and
—   for Grainbridge JV: the development of software technology offerings to be used by farmers, including, amongst others, account management, the provision of automated grain marketing decision support, financial risk management for grain marketing, and the facilitation of electronic transactions for physical grain contracting, as well as incidental activities. The Grainbridge JV will provide such offerings only and exclusively in the United States and Canada.


3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


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. The following reference should always be specified:
M.9178 — Cargill/ADM/Grainbridge JV
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:





E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu




Fax: +32 22964301




Postal address:




European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







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

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.