Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.9238 — INEOS/Ashland Global (Composites Business and Butanediol Manufacturing Facility))

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2019/C 151/06)

On 25 April 2019, 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:

—	INEOS Enterprises Holdings Limited (‘INEOS’, Switzerland),

—	Global composites business and manufacturing facility in Marl (Germany) of Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (‘Ashland’, US) (‘the Target’).

INEOS acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of parts of Ashland.

The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares and assets.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—	for INEOS, the manufacture and sale of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products, globally,

—

for the Target, the manufacture and sale of specialty chemicals used in the production of composite resins such as vinyl ester resins, gel coats and unsaturated polyester resins, as well as the manufacture (in Marl) and sale of butanediol, tetrahydrofuran and other specialty chemicals used in the production of engineering plastics, thermoplastic elastomers and specialty solvent, globally.

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. The following reference should always be specified:

M.9238 — INEOS/Ashland Global (Composites Business and Butanediol Manufacturing Facility)

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

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

Fax +32 22964301

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’).