Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11520 – SEFE / WIGA / WIGA GP) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2024-05-08
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, energy transport, gas pipeline, gas supply, holding company, merger control, natural gas, storage of hydrocarbons








C_202403126EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/3126


8.5.2024






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11520 – SEFE / WIGA / WIGA GP)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2024/3126)


1.   
On 30 April 2024, 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:






—


SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH (“SEFE”, Germany), controlled by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (“BMWK”, Germany),










—


WIGA Transport Beteiligungs-GmbH & Co. KG (“WIGA”, Germany), currently jointly controlled by SEFE and Wintershall DEA AG (“Wintershall”, Germany), and










—


WIGA Verwaltungs-GmbH (“WIGA GP”, Germany), currently jointly controlled by SEFE and Wintershall.




SEFE will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of WIGA and WIGA GP.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


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






—


SEFE is a supplier of natural gas with a strong footprint in the German market. SEFE’s main business areas include global sourcing, trading and sales, transportation and storage of natural gas and LNG,










—


WIGA is a holding company for undertakings active in the operation of high-pressure gas transmission pipelines in Germany.










—


WIGA GP is the personally liable general partner of WIGA.






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 treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (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.11520 – SEFE / WIGA / WIGA GP
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 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3126/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)