Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11782 – AIR LIQUIDE / FLUXYS / JV) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2025-03-21
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, North Sea, economic concentration, energy transport, gas supply, maritime transport, merger control, natural gas, storage of hydrocarbons








C_202501839EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/1839


21.3.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11782 – AIR LIQUIDE / FLUXYS / JV)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/1839)


1.   
On 13 March 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:






—


Air Liquide Industries Belgium SA/NV (‘Air Liquide Belgium’, Belgium), controlled by L’Air Liquide S.A (‘L’Air Liquide’, France),










—


Fluxys SA/NV (‘Fluxys’, Belgium), ultimately controlled by Publigas (Belgium).




Air Liquide Belgium and Fluxys will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of NewCo.
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 are the following:






—


Air Liquide Belgium belongs to the Air Liquide Group which is a multinational producer and supplier of gases, technologies and related services for different industries and the health care sector. Air Liquide Belgium operates in these same fields in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg,










—


Fluxys is active in natural gas transmission and storage as well as liquefied natural gas (‘LNG’) terminalling.






3.   
The business activities of the undertaking NewCo will be the following:






—


NewCo will build, own and operate an open-access CO2 liquefaction terminal in the Antwerp port area for subsequent transportation by sea and permanent geological storage of the CO2 in the North Sea.






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 concentration 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.11782 – AIR LIQUIDE / FLUXYS / 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 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1839/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)