CELEX: 32014M7300
Language: en
Date: 2014-09-12 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 12/09/2014 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7300 - COFCO / NOBLE AGRI) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |

                                        Brussels, 12.9.2014
                                        C(2014) 6524 final

|PUBLIC VERSION                                   |
|                                                 |
|SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE                      |

To the notifying party:

Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

Subject:    Case M.7300 - COFCO / NOBLE AGRI
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1]

 1. On 20 August 2014, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 and following a  referral
    pursuant to Article 4(5) of the Merger Regulation by which the undertaking COFCO Corporation ("COFCO", China) acquires within the meaning of
    the article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of Noble Agri Limited (“Noble Agri", Bermuda) by way of purchase of shares.[2]

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

      – for COFCO: large supplier of diversified products and services in the agricultural products and food industry in China,

      – for Noble Agri: international agricultural origination and trading company engaged in the producing,  sourcing,  processing,  warehousing
        and distribution of agricultural commodities, handling grains and oilseeds, coffee, cocoa, sugar, cotton and fertilizer.

 3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that the notified operation  falls  within  the  scope  of  the
    Merger Regulation and of paragraph 5(c) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment  of  certain  concentrations  under
    Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.[3]

 4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European Commission has decided not to oppose  the  notified  operation
    and to declare it compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b)
    of the Merger Regulation.

                                        For the Commission

                                        (signed)
                                        Alexander ITALIANER
                                        Director-General

-----------------------
[1]   OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 ("the Merger Regulation"). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the  European  Union
    ("TFEU") has introduced certain changes, such as the replacement of "Community" by "Union" and "common market"  by  "internal  market".  The
    terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.
[2]   Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 285, 27.8.2014, p. 4.
[3]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.