Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11825 – VERBUND / SW MÜNSTER / JV) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2025-05-26
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, economic concentration, electricity storage device, energy supply, marketing, merger control








C_202502991EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/2991


26.5.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11825 – VERBUND / SW MÜNSTER / JV)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/2991)


1.   
On 16 May 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:






—


VERBUND AG (‘VERBUND’, Austria),










—


Stadtwerke Münster GmbH (‘SW Münster’, Germany), controlled by the city of Münster (Germany).




VERBUND and SW Münster will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of a newly created company constituting a joint venture.
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:






—


VERBUND is an Austrian energy company, active primarily in the generation and supply of electricity. In Germany, VERBUND is active through VERBUND Energy4Business Germany GmbH, notably in the provision of energy products and services to commercial customers,










—


SW Münster is responsible for the public supply of utilities, notably energy, and local public transportation in the city of Münster.






3.   
The business activities of the newly created joint venture will be the following:






—


Planning, construction, operation and marketing of a battery storage facility in the urban area of Münster.






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.11825 – VERBUND / SW MÜNSTER / 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/2025/2991/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)