Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10244 — Vodafone Group/Safaricom/Sumitomo/Ethiopia JV) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2021/C 348/03
Date: 2021-08-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, investment company, merger control, telecommunications, telecommunications industry








C_2021348EN.01000301.xml










30.8.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 348/3






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10244 — Vodafone Group/Safaricom/Sumitomo/Ethiopia JV)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2021/C 348/03)

1.   
On 23 August 2021, 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:






—


Vodafone Group Limited (‘Vodafone Group’, U.K.),










—


Safaricom Plc (‘Safaricom’, Kenya),










—


Sumitomo Corporation (‘Sumitomo’, Japan),










—


Global Partnership for Ethiopia B.V. (together with its subsidiaries, the ‘Ethiopia JV’, Ethiopia).




Vodafone Group, Safaricom and Sumitomo acquire joint control over the Ethiopia JV, a newly created full-function joint venture, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation. 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 and the Ethiopia JV are:






—


for Vodafone Group: a telecommunications group active in Europe and Africa. The Vodafone group operates mobile and fixed networks in 21 countries and partners with mobile networks in an additional 48 countries;










—


for Safaricom: a telecommunications operator in Kenya;










—


for Sumitomo: a global trading and investment company, conducting business activities across a wide range of industries in 66 countries and regions;










—


for Ethiopia JV: a newly established joint venture for the purpose of operating a full telecommunications licence to provide telecommunication services in Ethiopia.






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.10244 — Vodafone Group/Safaricom/Sumitomo/Ethiopia JV
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: 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.