Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11780 – INGREDION / AGRANA / AGFD) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2025-02-21
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Romania, agro-industry, economic concentration, fruit, maize, merger control, starch, sugar








C_202501269EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/1269


21.2.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11780 – INGREDION / AGRANA / AGFD)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/1269)


1.   
On 14 February 2025, 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:






—


Ingredion Germany GmbH (‘Ingredion’, Germany),










—


AGRANA Stärke GmbH (‘AGRANA’, Austria).




Ingredion and AGRANA will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of AGFD Tandarei s.r.l. (‘AGFD’, Romania).
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


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






—


Ingredion is mainly a global provider of ingredients solutions that produces starches, sweeteners, and other ingredients from renewable raw materials such as maize, tapioca, the stevia plant, and others,










—


AGRANA is mainly a global processor of agricultural raw materials, structured in three operational divisions: sugar, starch, and fruit.






3.   
The business activities of the undertaking AGFD are the following:
Operation of a maize starch production facility in Romania that currently manufactures starches from regular and high amylose maize as well as non-starch products and following an upgrade of the production facility for AGFD also production of more advanced starch products, in particular modified waxy and high amylose maize starch products, all to be sold in Europe.


4.   
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.


5.   
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.11780 – INGREDION / AGRANA / AGFD
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/2025/1269/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)