CELEX: 32018M9158
Language: en
Date: 2018-12-12 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 12/12/2018 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.9158 - SoftBank Corp. / Toyota Motor Corporation) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                                                                Brussels, 12.12.2018
                                                                C(2018) 8885 final
                                                                     PUBLIC VERSION
                                                                To the notifying parties:
Subject:        Case M.9158 – SoftBank/Toyota Motor Corporation/MONET Technologies JV
                Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC)
                                1                                                                          2
                No 139/2004 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area
Dear Sir or Madam,
1.      On 19 November 2018, the European Commission received notification of a proposed
        concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation, by which the undertakings
        SoftBank Corp. ("SoftBank", Japan), belonging to SoftBank Group Corp. ("SoftBank
        Group", Japan), and Toyota Motor Corporation ("TMC", Japan) acquire within the
        meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the newly
        created joint venture MONET Technologies Corporation, by way of purchase of shares. In
        a first phase, MONET Technologies Corporation will develop and commercialise software
        platforms aimed at providing on demand transportation services operated by bus or taxi,
        alongside public transport, in Japan, and, at a later stage, it will use the software platforms
        to supply mobility services using autonomous vehicles.3
2.      The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
             for SoftBank Group: parent company of a global portfolio of subsidiaries and affiliates
              involved in advanced telecommunications, internet services, internet of things,
              robotics and clean energy technology providers,
             for TMC: design, manufacture, assembly and sale of passenger vehicles, minivans,
              commercial vehicles, related parts and accessories.
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 paragraphs 5(a)
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       OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the "EEA Agreement").
3       Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 425, 26.11.2018, p. 19.
Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel, BELGIË
Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu.
 ---pagebreak---    and 5(b) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain
   concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.4
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 and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement.
                                                   For the Commission
                                                   (Signed)
                                                   Johannes LAITENBERGER
                                                   Director-General
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.
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