18.5.2005   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 116/10

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.3781 — Crédit Agricole/Caisses d'Epargne/JV)

(2005/C 116/07)

(Text with EEA relevance)

1.

On 4 May 2005, 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 undertakings Groupe Crédit Agricole SA (‘Crédit Agricole’, France) and Groupe Caisses d'Epargne (‘Caisses d'Epargne’, France) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of a newly created company constituting a joint venture (‘the JV’, France) by purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—

for Crédit Agricole: universal bank, insurance activities,

—

for Caisses d'Epargne: universal bank,

—

for the JV: custody and fund administration services for institutional clients.

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.3781 — Crédit Agricole/Caisses d'Epargne/JV, 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.