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Document 52024M11378

Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11378 - SFH / EXISTING SHAREHOLDERS / ARGAL) Candidate case for simplified procedure

PUB/2024/183

OJ C, C/2024/1917, 29.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1917/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1917/oj

European flag

Official Journal
of the European Union

EN

Series C

C/2024/1917

29.2.2024

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.11378 - SFH / EXISTING SHAREHOLDERS / ARGAL) Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(C/2024/1917)

1.   

On 20 February 2024, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).

This notification concerns the following undertakings:

—

Smithfield Foods Holding Limited (‘SFH’, United Kingdom), belonging to the Smithfield Group (United States);

—

Manusian Family, S.L., Guembox Inversiones, S.L., Mr. Jordi Xavier Cagigós Negre and Mr. Antonio Cordero (together, the ‘Existing Shareholders’, all from Spain), and

—

Argal Alimentación, S.A, (‘Argal’, Spain).

SFH and the Existing Shareholders will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Argal.

The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.

2.   

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:

—

SFH is a holding company part of the Smithfield Group, which is a food group active in the EU primarily in the following activities: (i) the production and sale of processed meat; and (ii) the production and sale of fresh meat;

—

The Existing Shareholders are investors or investment vehicles with no commercial activity other than the management of Argal;

—

Argal and its subsidiaries are mainly active in the production of processed meat products in Spain and France, and sells these throughout most of the EU.

3.   

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

4.   

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:

M.11378 - SFH / EXISTING SHAREHOLDERS / ARGAL

Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:

Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

(1)   OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)   OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1917/oj

ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)

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