21.1.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 14/10

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.5434 — Ryanair/Aer Lingus II)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2009/C 14/13)

1.

On 8 January 2009, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Ryanair Holdings Plc (‘Ryanair’, Ireland), acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Aer Lingus Group Plc (‘Aer Lingus’, Ireland), by way of public bid announced on 15 December 2008.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—

for Ryanair: low cost airline operating point-to-point scheduled passenger air transport services in Europe,

—

for Aer Lingus: airline, formerly the Irish State-owned flag-carrier, operating point-to-point scheduled passenger air transport services worldwide.

3.

This notification is without prejudice to the final conclusion whether the transaction falls under the jurisdiction of the Commission according to the Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.

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 ((32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5434 — Ryanair/Aer Lingus II, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

J-70

B-1049 Brussels

(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.