6.9.2017

Official Journal of the European Union

C 295/4

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.8523 — BD/Bard)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2017/C 295/04)

On 30 August 2017, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Lambda Corp (a wholly owned subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Company (‘BD’, United States)) intends to acquire control over C. R. Bard (‘Bard’, United States) within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation; with Bard to continue as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of BD, by way of a purchase of shares. Following implementation of the proposed concentration, BD will exercise sole control over Bard.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—	BD is active globally in the production of medical technologies and devices, including biopsy devices that are marketed solely via distributors in the EEA,

—	Bard is active globally in the design and manufacturing of vascular, urology, oncology and surgical speciality products, including biopsy devices.

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.

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. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference M.8523 — BD/Bard, to the following 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’).