2001/684/EC: Commission Decision of 3 May 2000 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market and the functioning of the EEA Agreement Case COMP/M.1671 — Dow Chemical/Union Carbide (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2000)1304)

• Articles: 3

Article 1

On condition that the undertakings submitted by the parties and set out in the Annex to this Decision are fully complied with the concentration by which the Dow Chemical Company acquires control of the whole of the undertaking Union Carbide Corporation is declared compatible with the common market and with the functioning of the EEA Agreement.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to:

The Dow Chemical Company

Scott R. Pennock, Esq. Counsel

2030 Dow Center Midland, Michigan 48674 United States of America.

Done at Brussels, 3 May 2000

For the Commission

Mario Monti

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 395, 30.12.1989, p. 1; corrected version OJ L 257, 21.9.1990, p. 13).

(2) OJ L 180, 9.7.1997, p. 1.

(3) OJ C 256, 14.9.2001.

(4) Parts of this text have been edited to ensure that confidential information is not disclosed; those parts are enclosed in square brackets and marked with an asterisk.

(5) A process during which monomers are reacted with each other to produce long chains of repeated series of monomers, called polymers.

(6) Case IV/M.550 - Union Carbide/Enichem, OJ C 123, 19.5.1995, Case IV/M.708 - Exxon/DSM, OJ C 306, 15.10.1996, p. 4, and Case IV/M.1163 - Borealis/IPIC/OMV/PCD, OJ C 280, 9.9.1998, p. 3.

(7) Case IV/M.708 - Exxon/DSM, OJ C 306, 15.10.1996, p. 4.

(8) Case IV/M.708 - Exxon/DSM, OJ C 306, 15.10.1996, p. 4.

(9) Case IV/M. 1287 - Elenac/Hoechst, OJ C 405, 24.12.1998, p. 15, Case IV/M.1041 - BASF/Shell (II), OJ C 81, 17.3.1988, p. 5, and Case IV/M.550 - Union Carbide/Enichem, OJ C 123, 19.5.1995.

(10) The most common blends LDPE/LLDPE ratios are between 90/10 and 60/40, although in certain cases up to 100 % LLDPE can be used (in stretch applications).

(11) Case IV/M.708 - Exxon/DSM OJ C 306, 15.10.1996, p. 4.

(12) C8 LLDPE can be made by a solution process or a slurry process. However, economically the slurry process is not viable for C8 LLDPE. Case IV/M.708 - Exxon/DSM, OJ C 306, 15.10.1996, p. 4, point 11.

(13) Case IV/M.550 - Union Carbide/Enichem, OJ C 123, 19.5.1995, Case IV/M. 708 - Exxon/DSM, OJ C 306, 15.10.1996, p. 4, Case IV/M.1041 - BASF/Shell, OJ C 81, 17.3.1998, p. 4, Case IV/M.1163 - Borealis/IPIC/OMV/PCD, OJ C 280, 9.9.1998, p. 3, and Case IV/M.1287 - Elenac Hoechst, OJ C 405, 24.12.1998, p.15.

(14) Defined as the EEA area and Switzerland.

(15) Enichem is the leading chemical and petrochemical manufacturer in Italy.

(16) The creation of Polimeri was cleared by the Commission. See Case IV/M.550 - UCC/Enichem - 13 March 1995.

(17) Equate Petroleum Company KSC, is a joint venture in Kuwait between UCC and the State-owned Kuwait oil company; UCC has a [... %]* interest in Equate. Equate does not produce C8 LLDPE.

(18) Dow's plant in Schkopau, Germany, started producing PE resins in 1999, whereby Dow's capacity rose from [... to ...] thousand tonnes.

(19) High-pressure processes do not use catalysts.

(20) Case IV/M.269 - Shell/Montecatini, OJ L 332, 22.12.1994, Case M.550 - Union Carbide/Enichem, OJ C 123, 19.5.1995, and Case M.1287 - Elenac/Hoechst, OJ C 405, 24.12.1998, p. 15.

(21) Case IV/M.550 - Union Carbide/Enichem, OJ C 123, 19.5.1995, and Case IV/M.1287 - Elenac/Hoechst, OJ C 405, 24.12.1998, p. 15.

(22) Case IV/M.550 - Union Carbide/Enichem, OJ C 123, 19.5.1995.

(23) Case IV/M.269 - Shell/Montecatini, OJ L 332, 22.12.1994, and Case IV/M.550 - Union Carbide/Enichem, OJ C 123, 19.5.1995.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

The full English text of the undertakings referred to in Article 1 may be consulted on the following Commission website:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/index_en.html