2003/668/EC: Commission Decision of 17 December 2002 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market and the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/M.2822–EnBW/ENI/GVS) (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2002) 5080)

• Articles: 5

Article 1

The notified operation whereby Energie Baden-Württemberg AG and ENI SpA would acquire joint control of the undertaking Gasversorgung Süddeutschland GmbH within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 is declared compatible with the common market and with the EEA Agreement.

Article 2

Article 1 is subject to full compliance with the conditions set out in Sections I and II of the Annex.

Article 3

Article 1 is subject to full compliance with the obligations set out in Sections III to V of the Annex.

Article 4

This Decision is addressed to:

The notifying Parties.

Done at Brussels, 17 December 2002.

For the Commission

Mario Monti

Member of the Commission

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

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

(3) OJ C 233, 30.9.2003.

(4) OJ C 233, 30.9.2003.

(5) Commission Decision 2002/164/EC in Case COMP/M.1853 - EDF/EnBW (OJ L 59, 28.2.2002, p. 1).

(6) Commission Decision of 29.9.1999, Case IV/M.1383 - Exxon/Mobil, recitals 48 et seq., 111.

(7) Commission Decision 2001/519/EC in Case COMP/M.1673 - Veba/Viag, OJ L 188, 10.7.2001, p. 1, recital 186.

(8) See footnotes 1 and 2.

(9) For reasons of terminological clarity, this expression is not used in the present Decision, given that the activity at stake is a sales and not a transport activity.

(10) Recital 152.

(11) Recital 186.

(12) VVI was signed on 4 July 2000.

(13) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 1.

(14) Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.V; Verband der Industriellen Energie- und Kraftwirtschaft e.V; Bundesverband der deutschen Gas- und Wasserwirtschaft e.V; Verband kommunaler Unternehmen e.V.

(15) Those principles include in particular free choice of supplier, network access and unbundling.

(16) Postage stamp tariffs are tariffs unrelated to distance or the characteristics of a single transaction.

(17) EWI, BET: "Analyse und Wettberwerbliche Beurteilung der Verbändevereinbarung Gas zum Netzzugang", Gutachten im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Technologie. Endbericht 9.11.2000. Paragraph: "8. Zusammenfassung".

(18) VVII, paragraph 6.2.4: "Bis zum 30.9.2003 werden die Unterzeichnerverbände ein verbessertes Konzept entwickeln, welches die folgenden Ziele erreicht: mehr Wettbewerb und Transparenz als bisher, einfachere Bedienung und Nutzung, Börsenfähigkeit, Diskriminierungsfreiheit, Eignung für Massengeschäft/Transaktionsunabhängigkeit, Bilanzkreisfähigkeit, Kostenzuordnung nach Verursacherprinzip. Das verbesserte Konzept wird rechtzeitig vor Beginn des Gaswirtschaftsjahres 2003/2004 in Kraft gesetzt. Die Unterzeichnerverbände sind sich darin einig, dass ein stetiger Erfahrungs- und Meinungsaustausch zu diesem Thema den einfachen, transparenten und wettbewerbsfähigen netzzugang begleiten und fördern soll."

(19) 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.

(20) OLG Düsseldorf, Judgement of 7.11.2001, Aktenzeichnen: U(Kart)31/00, "Thyssengas./. Stadtwerke Aachen AG".

(21) OLG Stuttgart, Judgement of 21.3.2002, Aktenzeichnen: 2 u 136/01, "Gasversorgung Süddeutschland GmbH./. Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall GmbH".

(22) Gesetz gegen Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen (GWB).

(23) This is without prejudice to the consequences of possible changes in the framework of the implementation of Community legislation.

(24) October is typically the month of the year determining the beginning of the one-year period for gas supply agreements.

(25) These supply contracts end all in 2008, i.e. the relevant customers can exercise their right to early termination either in October 2004 or in October 2006.

(26) NWS, for example, accounts for at least 20 % of GVS's total gas sales. NWS, in turn, however, achieves only 23,7 % of its respective turnover with gas. The remaining 76,3 % were achieved with its other activities, of which electricity is the most important, accounting for 59 %.

(27) Cf. the Commission Notice on remedies acceptable under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 and under Commission Regulation (EC) No 447/98(OJ C 68, 2.3.2001, p. 3).

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

The full original text of the conditions and obligations referred to in Articles 2 and 3 may be consulted on the following Commission website:

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