Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11123 – SUMITOMO / VODAFONE / JV) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2023/C 198/09
Date: 2023-06-06
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Internet of Things, economic concentration, information service, investment company, merger control, software, telecommunications








C_2023198EN.01001901.xml










6.6.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 198/19






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11123 – SUMITOMO / VODAFONE / JV)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2023/C 198/09)

1.   
On 30 May 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:






—


Sumitomo Corporation (‘Sumitomo’, Japan),










—


Vodafone Group Plc (‘Vodafone’, United Kingdom),










—


DABCO Limited (‘DAB’, United Kingdom), controlled by Vodafone.




Vodafone and Sumitomo will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of DAB.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


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






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Sumitomo is a global trading and investment company. It invests in a range of business activities in Japan and around the world, including trading of metal products, transportation and construction of systems, environment and infrastructure, media and digital products, energy, chemicals and electronics.










—


Vodafone is a telecommunications group active in Europe and Africa. It is primarily involved in the operation of mobile and fixed telecommunications networks and the provision of mobile and fixed telecommunications and technology services.










—


DAB’s business activities will be the development and commercialisation of ‘economy of things’ products and services to enable connected devices, vehicles, and machines to communicate, transact and trade autonomously with one another, on a user's behalf, using technologies such as blockchain.






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.11123 – SUMITOMO / VODAFONE / JV
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.