Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11068 – RLBNW / ASM / BETA PURA) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2023/C 126/04
Date: 2023-04-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: bank, chemical industry, economic concentration, fruit, holding company, merger control, starch, sugar industry








C_2023126EN.01000501.xml










11.4.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 126/5






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11068 – RLBNW / ASM / BETA PURA)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2023/C 126/04)

1.   
On 28 March 2023, 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:






—


Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien AG (‘RLBNW’) (Austria), controlled by Raiffeisen-Holding Niederösterreich-Wien reg.Gen.m.b.H. (Austria),










—


AGRANA Sales & Marketing GmbH (‘ASM’) (Austria), controlled by AGRANA Beteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft (Austria),










—


Beta Pura GmbH (‘Beta Pura’) (Austria), controlled by ASM and Amalgamated Sugar Company (United States of America).




RLBNW and ASM will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Beta Pura GmbH.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


RLBNW is an Austrian universal bank that is a member of the Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group,










—


ASM is a subsidiary of AGRANA Beteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft, whose business is divided into three segments: sugar, starch and fruit. The sugar range includes a wide range of sugar and by-products, such as molasses, beet pulp and other feed components,










—


Beta Pura operates a betaine crystallisation plant that processes natural liquid betaine into natural crystalline betaine and by-products.






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 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.11068 – RLBNW / ASM / BETA PURA
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
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.