Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12135 – WATERS / BD (BIOSCIENCES AND DIAGNOSTIC SOLUTIONS BUSINESSES)) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2025-11-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: analytical chemistry, biology, economic concentration, medical device, medical diagnosis, medical research, merger control, spectrometry








C_202506050EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/6050


7.11.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.12135 – WATERS / BD (BIOSCIENCES AND DIAGNOSTIC SOLUTIONS BUSINESSES))
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/6050)


1.   
On 30 October 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:






—


Waters Corporation (‘Waters’) (USA), and










—


Certain subsidiaries and assets of the Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business units (‘Target’) of Becton, Dickinson and Company (‘BD’) (USA).




Waters acquires, within the meaning of Article 3(1), point (b) of the Merger Regulation, sole control of the Target.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares in the Target.


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






—


Waters is a specialty measurement company that develops analytical workflow solutions, primarily involving liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials and food sciences industries.










—


The Target comprises BD’s (a) Biosciences and (b) Diagnostic Solutions business units.






—


BD Biosciences is a provider of immunology and cancer research solutions and related clinical diagnostics, including flow cytometry instruments and reagents, and has innovative single-cell multiomics tools.










—


BD Diagnostic Solutions is a provider of microbiology and infectious disease diagnostics, including molecular diagnostics, cervical cancer screening, cytology products, microbiology automation and point-of-care offerings.










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 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.12135 – WATERS / BD (BIOSCIENCES AND DIAGNOSTIC SOLUTIONS BUSINESSES)
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/2025/6050/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)