28.4.2006   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 102/9


Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.4071 — Apollo/Akzo Nobel IAR)

(2006/C 102/04)

(Text with EEA relevance)

1.

On 18 April 2006, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 and following a referral pursuant to Article 4(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Hexion Speciality Chemicals (‘Hexion’, USA), belonging to the Apollo Group (‘Apollo Group’, USA), acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of Akzo Nobel's Inks and Adhesive Resins business (‘IAR’, the Netherlands) by way of purchase of shares and assets.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

for Apollo Group: portfolio investments;

for Hexion: thermosetting resins and other speciality chemicals;

for IAR: rosin resins and related chemicals for ink and other applications.

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

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. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (No (32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under reference number COMP/M.4071 — Apollo/Akzo Nobel IAR, to the following address:

European Commission

Competition DG

Merger Registry

J-70

B-1049 Brussels


(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.