2004/238/EC: Commission Decision of 23 July 2003 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market and the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/M.2972 — DSM/Roche Vitamins) (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 2648)

• Articles: 5

Article 1

The notified operation whereby DSM NV acquires sole control of Roche Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division 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 compliance with the conditions set out in sections B, C (except paragraphs 23 and 24), D and E of the Annex.

Article 3

Article 1 is subject to compliance with the obligations set out in paragraphs 23 and 24 of section C, and sections F (monitoring trustee) and G (the review clause) of the Annex.

Article 4

This Decision is addressed to:

DSM NV Het Overloon 1 6401 JH Heerlen The Netherlands

Done at Brussels, 23 July 2003.

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 69, 19.3.2004.

(4) OJ C 69, 19.3.2004.

(5) Turnover calculated in accordance with Article 5(1) of the Merger Regulation and the Commission Notice on the calculation of turnover (OJ C 66, 2.3.1998, p. 25). To the extent that figures include turnover for the period before 1 January 1999, they are calculated on the basis of average ECU exchange rates and translated into EUR on a one-for-one basis.

(6) 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.

(7) The total raw material cost of the feed per tonne in this estimate is EUR 159,38. It should be noted that raw material feed components represent 90 % of the weight and the majority of the cost. Nearly no saving may be achieved on the cost of raw materials since they are commodity products. Therefore, any saving achieved on the residual costs is of primary importance for an industry which operates with high volumes and very low margins (typically 3 to 4 %).

(8) Prices provided by notifying party of phytase in the European market calculated back to the standard product (Natuphos 5000) containing 5000 units per gram. Form CO p. 70-71.

(9) France: Circulaire du 23 janvier 1996 relative à l'utilisation de nouvelles références de rejet des élevages de porcs; Arrêté du 29 février 1992 fixant les règles techniques auxquelles doivent satisfaire les élevages de vaches laitières et (ou) mixtes soumis à autorisation au titre de la protection de l'environnement (modifié par les arrêtés du 29 mars 1995 et du 1er juillet 1999); Arrêté du 13 juin 1994 fixant les règles techniques auxquelles doivent satisfaire les élevages de volailles et (ou) de gibiers à plumes soumis à autorisation au titre de la protection de l'environnement (modifié par arrêté du 1er juillet 1999) (JO du 23 décembre 1994); Loi n° 76-663 du 19 juillet 1976 relative aux installations classées pour la protection de l'environnement; Décret n° 77-1133 du 21 septembre 1977 - Décret pris pour l'application de la loi n° 76-663 du 19 juillet 1976 relative aux installations classées pour la protection de l'environnement;

Belgium: Convenant betreffende de vaststelling van maximumgehalten aan totaal fosfor in volledige voeders voor varkens en kippen die aangeduid zijn als "laag-fosfor-voeder"; Ondertekenaars van het convenant "laag-fosfor-voeder" voor varkens;

Germany: Verordnung zur Umsetzung der Richtlinie 80/68/EWG des Rates vom 17. Dezember 1979 über den Schutz des Grundwassers gegen Verschmutzung durch bestimmte gefährliche Stoffe (18. März 1997); Düngemittelgesetz (15. November 1977); Verordnung über die Grundsätze der guten fachlichen Praxis beim Düngen (26. Januar 1996); Gesetz zur Förderung der Kreislaufwirtschaft und Sicherung der umweltverträglichen Beseitigung von Abfällen (27. September 1994);

The Netherlands: Wet Milieubeheer; Besluit milieueffecten-rapportage; Besluit milieuverslaglegging; Inrichtingen- en vergunningsbesluit milieubeheer

(10) A substrate is a polysaccharide present in cereals. Each NSP-degrading enzyme degrades one of these substrates, for example xylanase degrades arabinoxylans.

(11) According to the notifying party, under certain market conditions, nutritionists can choose to add barley to wheat-based diets. These conditions depend mainly on the relative cost positions of both cereals and occur only occasionally.

(12) Pure barley diets do not exist. Barley products are intended to be added to wheat enzymes in wheat and barley diets.

(13) Price correlation was run on price and sales value series over the last five years.

(14) All the market shares mentioned at the production level are EEA-wide market shares. Market shares on a wider relevant geographic market would not be significantly different.

(15) AB Enzymes received regulatory approval and launched its phytase product, Phyzyme, in the EEA in July 2001.

(16) All enzymes intended for use as feed additives follow a procedure of pre-market authorisation in the Community. Since 1970 there has been a Community-wide system of authorisation based on the concept of the positive list, that is to say, only the additives on the list may be used. Council Directive 70/524/EEC of 23 November 1970 concerning additives in feedingstuffs (OJ L 270, 14.12.1970, p. 1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1756/2002 (OJ L 265, 3.10.2002, p. 1) contains the positive list including vitamins for use as feed additives. No additive may be placed on the market if it is not approved by the Commission and Member States. The assessment is carried out by the Scientific Committee for Animal Nutrition (SCAN) and Member State experts. After first evaluation by a rapporteur Member State, a dossier is submitted to the Commission and to the other Member States for a centralised pan-European approval. Council Directive 87/153/EEC of 16 February 1987 fixing guidelines for the assessment of additives in animal nutrition (OJ L 208, 11.8.1994, p. 5), as last amended by Commission Directive 2001/79/EC of 17 September 2001 amending Council Directive 87/153/EEC fixing guidelines for the assessment of additives in animal nutrition (OJ L 267, 6.10.2001, p. 1) sets out the applicable guidelines for the assessment of additives in animal nutrition. Registration is required for the pipeline strain, the species for which it is intended, and any variations on the strain. The production plants intended for production of the phytase product also require approval. At present, the regulatory approval process takes at least 24 to 36 months. The scientific safety assessment carried out by SCAN will from mid-2003 be carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), a new independent Community body taking over the functions of a number of scientific committees previously established by the Commission. In the medium term the scientific assessment is expected to be more efficient with EFSA but for the dossiers at present in the pipeline it is difficult to forecast the impact of the transition to the new body.

(17) The background technology is shared between all enzyme applications (feed and others) and consists in the expression of enzymes in micro-organisms

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