21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/1

Euro exchange rates (1)

20 June 2018

(2018/C 217/01)

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,1578
JPY	Japanese yen	127,39
DKK	Danish krone	7,4525
GBP	Pound sterling	0,87878
SEK	Swedish krona	10,2755
CHF	Swiss franc	1,1537
ISK	Iceland króna	125,80
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,4693
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	25,835
HUF	Hungarian forint	324,15
PLN	Polish zloty	4,3152
RON	Romanian leu	4,6695
TRY	Turkish lira	5,4943
AUD	Australian dollar	1,5688
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,5398
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	9,0847
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,6853
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,5718
KRW	South Korean won	1 281,98
ZAR	South African rand	15,8367
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	7,4953
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,3836
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	16 320,23
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,6318
PHP	Philippine peso	61,864
RUB	Russian rouble	73,6225
THB	Thai baht	37,987
BRL	Brazilian real	4,3273
MXN	Mexican peso	23,6794
INR	Indian rupee	78,8600

(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/2

COMMISSION DECISION

of 18 June 2018

to replace a member of the REFIT Platform Stakeholder group

(2018/C 217/02)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Commission Decision C(2015)3261 final of 19 May 2015 establishing the REFIT Platform, and in particular Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Commission Decision C(2015) 3261 final establishing the REFIT Platform (hereinafter ‘the Platform’) provides in Article 4 that the Platform will comprise a ‘Government group’ and a ‘Stakeholder group’ and that the members of the Stakeholder group shall consist of up to 20 experts, two of them representing the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions and the rest from business, including from SMEs, and from social partners and civil society organisations having direct experience in the application of Union legislation. The experts in the Stakeholder group shall be appointed in their personal capacity or to represent a common interest shared by a number of stakeholders.

(2)

The Decision provides in Article 4.4 that the Commission, on a proposal from the First Vice-President of the Commission, shall appoint members of the stakeholder group selected from applicants having direct experience in the application of Union legislation, who have responded to the call for applications. The appointments shall ensure, to the extent possible, a balanced representation of the various sectors, interests and regions of the Union and gender. Article 4.5 of the Decision provides that members shall be appointed until 31 October 2019. Pursuant to Article 4.6 of the Decision, members who resign may be replaced for the reminder of their term of office.

(3)

Commission Decision C(2015) 9063 final of 16 December 2015 appointing the Members of the Stakeholder group of the REFIT Platform (1) provides that, should any member of the Stakeholder group cease to be a member during the term of office of the Platform, the First Vice-President may nominate a replacement from the initial list of candidates who responded to the call for expressions of interest to become member of the Stakeholder group.

(4)	Ms Nina Renshaw resigned as Member of the Stakeholder group as of 27 October 2017.

(5)	Mr Michael Huether is on the initial list of candidates who responded to the call for expressions of interest to become member of the Stakeholder group,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole article

Mr Michael Huether is appointed Member of the Stakeholder group of the REFIT Platform until 31 October 2019, in replacement of Ms Nina Renshaw.

Done at Brussels, 18 June 2018.

For the Commission

Frans TIMMERMANS

First Vice-President

(1) https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/commission-decision-appointment-of-members-stakeholder-group-refit-platform_dec2015_en.pdf

ANNEX

Name	Nationality	Representing a common interest shared by stakeholders in a particular policy area	Current employer
Mr Michael Hüther	German	NO	Cologne Institute for Economic Research/Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Koeln e.V., Cologne

21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/5

Communication from the Minister for National Development of Hungary pursuant to Article 3(2) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons

(2018/C 217/04)

PUBLIC INVITATION TO TENDER FOR A CONCESSION FOR THE PROSPECTION, EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBON UNDER CONCESSION IN THE BÉKÉSCSABA AREA

On behalf of the Hungarian State, the Minister for National Development (‘the Contracting Authority’ or ‘the Minister’), as the minister responsible for mining and for overseeing state-owned assets, hereby issues a public invitation to tender for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbon under a concession contract on the basis of Act CXCVI of 2011 on national assets (‘the National Assets Act’), Act XVI of 1991 on concessions (‘the Concessions Act’) and Act XLVIII of 1993 on mining (‘the Mining Act’), subject to the following conditions.

The Minister will publish the invitation to tender, adjudge the bids and conclude the concession contract in cooperation with the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (MBFSZ) in accordance with the Concessions Act and the Mining Act. Bids that meet the tender specifications will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee set up by the Minister.

On the recommendation of the Evaluation Committee the Minister will issue the decision awarding the concession, on the basis of which the Minister may then conclude the concession contract with the successful bidder in accordance with Section 5(1) of the Concessions Act (1).

The language of the tendering procedure is Hungarian.

Participation in the tendering procedure is open to any Hungarian or foreign natural person and to any transparent organisation within the meaning of the National Assets Act, provided they meet the tender specifications; joint bids are also permitted. In the case of joint bids for this concession activity, the bidders must designate one of their number as representative, but assume joint and several liability for performance of the concession contract. Domestic and foreign bidders will be treated on an equal footing under the tendering procedure.

For the purpose of carrying out the activity subject to concession, using its own resources the bidder signing the concession contract (‘the Concession Holder’) must, within 90 days of the concession contract entering into force, set up a company with its registered office in Hungary (‘the Concession Company’); the Concession Holder must hold the majority of the shares, business interests and voting rights in the company at the time it is set up and for as long as it is operating, and must, as owner, undertake to enforce the requirements specified in the concession contract within the Concession Company. The Concession Company will enjoy the rights and be subject to the obligations under the concession contract as a mining operator.

Duration of the concession: 20 years from the entry into force of the concession contract; the original duration may be extended once without a further call for tenders for a maximum of half of its original duration if the Concession Holder and Concession Company have complied with all their obligations in accordance with the contract and on time.

Data on area designated for concession:

Area designated for concession: the area is situated within the municipalities listed in the table below in the county of Békés.

Municipality	County	Municipality	County
Békés	Békés	Kötegyán	Békés
Békéscsaba	Békés	Lőkösháza	Békés
Bélmegyer	Békés	Medgyesegyháza	Békés
Csabaszabadi	Békés	Méhkerék	Békés
Csárdaszállás	Békés	Mezőberény	Békés
Csorvás	Békés	Mezőgyán	Békés
Doboz	Békés	Murony	Békés
Elek	Békés	Nagykamarás	Békés
Gerendás	Békés	Okány	Békés
Geszt	Békés	Pusztaottlaka	Békés
Gyomaendrőd	Békés	Sarkad	Békés
Gyula	Békés	Sarkadkeresztúr	Békés
Hunya	Békés	Szabadkígyós	Békés
Kamut	Békés	Tarhos	Békés
Kétegyháza	Békés	Telekgerendás	Békés
Kétsoprony	Békés	Újkígyós	Békés
Kevermes	Békés	Újszalonta	Békés
Kondoros	Békés	Vésztő	Békés
Körösladány	Békés	Zsadány	Békés
Köröstarcsa	Békés

Overburden of area designated for concession: surface and bedrock: 5 000 metres below Baltic Sea level

Areas cleared to make way for a mine site established for hydrocarbon mineral resources are not included in the area designated for concession.

The corner point coordinates delimiting the area designated for concession can be viewed in the Uniform National Projection System, while data on the areas cleared to make way for mine sites established for hydrocarbon mineral resources, which are not included in the area designated for concession, can be viewed on the website of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (www.mbfsz.gov.hu) by clicking on the ‘Koncesszió’ (‘Concessions’) drop-down menu, and on the website of the Ministry of National Development (www.kormany.hu/hu/nemzeti-fejlesztesi-miniszterium).

Size of area designated for concession: 1 792,156 km2.

Areas of mine sites whose overburden is located higher than the overburden of the area designated for concession and whose bedrock corresponds to or extends below the bedrock of the area designated for concession are not included in the area designated for concession.

Minimum net concession fee: HUF 342 000 000 (three hundred and forty-two million forint) plus VAT, but a bid for a larger fixed amount may be entered in the tendering procedure. Once the result is published, the successful bidder must pay the concession fee in the amount, in the manner and by the date specified in the concession contract.

Participation in the concession tendering procedure is subject to payment of a participation fee of HUF 10 000 000 (ten million forint) plus VAT; this amount is to be paid in the manner specified in the Tender Document.

In addition to paying the participation fee, for their bid to be valid bidders must lodge a tendering security of HUF 50 000 000 (fifty million forint) by the day preceding the deadline for submitting bids as a guarantee that the bid is binding. The tendering security paid will be forfeited to the Contracting Authority if the bidder withdraws or if the bidder is successful but then fails to conclude the contract or fails to pay the concession fee offered, in the amount, in the manner and by the deadline stipulated in the contract. The tendering security is to be paid in the manner specified in the Tender Document.

The lowest rate of the mining royalty for conventional hydrocarbon production payable on the basis of the concession contract will be 16 % in accordance with the decision of the Minister; a bid for a higher mining royalty may be entered in the tendering procedure, which if agreed is recorded in the concession contract and must be paid for the duration of the concession. The cases specified in Section 20(3)(e) and (i) and Section 20(5) of the Mining Act are exceptions, where the prevailing mining royalty rate specified in the Mining Act shall apply.

The legal, financial, technical and other conditions and information relating to the tendering procedure can be found in the Tender Document.

10.

The Tender Document may be collected at the Customer Service Office of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (Columbus utca 17-23, 1145 Budapest, Hungary. Tel. +36 13012900) on working days between 8.00 and 14.00 up until the day before the submission deadline, on presentation of adequate documentary proof that the purchase price for the Tender Document has been paid. The Hungarian Mining and Geological Service will issue the purchaser with a certificate in their name.

When purchasing the Tender Document, for the purposes of being contacted and receiving communications the purchaser must also submit a Concession Bidder Identification Sheet, which can be downloaded from the website of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (www.mbfsz.gov.hu) by clicking on the ‘Koncesszió’ drop-down menu.

11.

The purchase price for the Tender Document is HUF 100 000 (one hundred thousand forint) plus VAT, which must be paid by transfer into the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service’s appropriation use framework account No 10032000-01417179-00000000. The message accompanying the transfer must state the code BECHDV and the name of the party purchasing the Tender Document. The purchase price for the Tender Document may not be paid in cash and is not refundable in part or in full. If the Tender Document is not received, the purchase price for the Tender Document will be refunded to the payer within five days of the submission deadline.

12.

Bids may be submitted only by persons having purchased the Tender Document and having paid both the participation fee and the tendering security. If a joint bid is submitted, it is sufficient for one of the bidders to purchase the Tender Document.

13.

Bids must be submitted in person between 10.00 and 12.00 on 26 September 2018 at the Customer Service Office of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (address: Columbus utca 17-23, 1145 Budapest, Hungary), in Hungarian, as specified in the Tender Document.

14.

The bid becomes binding on the bidder from the time it is submitted and remains binding until the tendering procedure has ended. Bidders may not exclude liability for failure to abide by their bid.

15.

The Minister reserves the right to declare the concession tender procedure unsuccessful. No claims arising from the tender procedure being declared unsuccessful may be lodged against the Minister, the Hungarian State represented by the Minister, or the Ministry of National Development as the Minister’s place of work.

16.

The successful bidder will acquire the exclusive right for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbon in the area designated for concession for the duration of the concession through the Concession Company mandatorily set up for that purpose. Once the decision establishing the mining site becomes final, the concession right for the prospection area will be restricted to the area of the mining site.

17.

Each bidder may submit only a single bid.

18.

Time limit for the adjudication of concession bids: within 90 days following the deadline for bids to be submitted.

19.

The Contracting Authority will ensure a level playing field and will not apply any preferential criteria.

20.

Tender adjudication criteria:

(I)

Assessment criteria relating to the content of the Programme of Research Work subject to concession:

—	professional merits of the Programme of Research Work (programme design aiming for maximum prospection of hydrocarbon),

—	the planned duration of the research,

—	the financial commitment undertaken when implementing the Programme of Research Work,

—	how up-to-date the envisaged technical solutions are,

—	the measures envisaged for protecting the environment and preventing and reducing damage in the course of the work subject to concession,

—	how soon commencement of production is envisaged (by law, within less than five years).

(II)

Assessment criteria relating to the bidder’s ability to perform the concession contract:

—	the bidder’s financial standing, the availability of the resources needed to finance the work to be performed under the concession, and the proportion of this accounted for by own resources,

—	the total value of work performed in connection with hydrocarbon mining in the three years preceding the invitation to tender.

(III)

Assessment criteria relating to payment obligations undertaken in the concession contract:

—	the net concession fee offered in comparison to the minimum concession fee set by the Minister,

—	the size of the mining royalty offered in comparison to the minimum mining royalty set by the Minister.

The detailed adjudication criteria and the legislation governing the procedure for authorising the concession work and how it is to be performed and completed are specified in the Tender Document.

21.

The concession contract

The concession contract is to be concluded within 90 days following the announcement of the result. This time limit may be extended by the Minister once only by a maximum of 60 days.

The successful bidder is entitled to carry out the exclusive state-controlled economic activity (prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbon in a delimited area) permitted under the concession for the duration of the concession in accordance with the relevant legislation and the concession contract.

When submitting the bid, bidders must take account of Section 22/A(13) of the Mining Act, which states that in the case of hydrocarbons a mining operator’s prospection right or prospection permit may cover a total of no more than 15 000 km2 of prospection territory. When establishing the prospection territory, account must also be taken of the prospection territory of the mining operator that controls — within the meaning of the Civil Code — the mining operator wishing to obtain the prospection right or prospection permit. In the case of joint bids, each of the bidders must meet this criterion individually.

The draft concession contract is annexed to the Tender Document.

22.

Information regarding the tendering procedure may be requested exclusively in Hungarian, in writing after the Tender Document has been purchased, in the manner stipulated in the Tender Document; replies will be made available to all parties by the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service using the email address indicated on the Bidder Identification Sheet submitted when the Tender Document was purchased.

Budapest, … … 2018.

Dr Miklós SESZTÁK

Minister

(1) At the date on which this invitation to tender is being published, the member of the Government responsible for overseeing state-owned assets and for mining is the Minister for National Development, in accordance with Section 109(3) and (5) of Government Decree No 152/2014 of 6 June 2014 governing the duties and powers of certain ministers and members of the Government.

21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/9

(2018/C 217/05)

PUBLIC INVITATION TO TENDER FOR A CONCESSION FOR THE PROSPECTION, EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBON UNDER CONCESSION IN THE DRÁVA AREA

The language of the tendering procedure is Hungarian.

Data on area designated for concession:

Area designated for concession: the area is situated within the municipalities listed in the table below in the counties of Somogy and Baranya.

Municipality	County	Municipality	County
Babócsa	Somogy	Kálmáncsa	Somogy
Barcs	Somogy	Kastélyosdombó	Somogy
Bolhó	Somogy	Kisdobsza	Baranya
Csokonyavisonta	Somogy	Komlósd	Somogy
Darány	Somogy	Péterhida	Somogy
Drávatamási	Somogy	Somogyaracs	Somogy
Heresznye	Somogy	Szulok	Somogy
Istvándi	Somogy	Zádor	Baranya

Overburden of area designated for concession: surface and bedrock: 5 000 metres below Baltic Sea level

Areas cleared to make way for a mine site established for hydrocarbon mineral resources are not included in the area designated for concession.

Size of area designated for concession: 268,508 km2.

Minimum net concession fee: HUF 291 000 000 (two hundred and ninety-one million forint) plus VAT, but a bid for a larger fixed amount may be entered in the tendering procedure. Once the result is published, the successful bidder must pay the concession fee in the amount, in the manner and by the date specified in the concession contract.

The lowest rate of mining royalty for conventional hydrocarbon production payable on the basis of the concession contract will be 16 % in accordance with the decision of the Minister; a bid for a higher mining royalty may be entered in the tendering procedure, which if agreed is recorded in the concession contract and must be paid for the duration of the concession. The cases specified in Section 20(3)(e) and (i) and Section 20(5) of the Mining Act are exceptions, where the prevailing mining royalty rate specified in the Mining Act shall apply.

The legal, financial, technical and other conditions and information relating to the tendering procedure can be found in the Tender Document.

10.

The Tender Document may be collected at the Customer Service Office of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (Columbus utca 17-23, 1145 Budapest, Hungary; tel. +36 13012900) on working days between 8:00 and 14:00 up until the day before the submission deadline, on presentation of adequate documentary proof that the purchase price for the Tender Document has been paid. The Hungarian Mining and Geological Service will issue the purchaser with a certificate in their name.

11.

The purchase price for the Tender Document is HUF 100 000 (one hundred thousand forint) plus VAT, which must be paid by transfer into the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service’s appropriation use framework account No 10032000-01417179-00000000. The message accompanying the transfer must state the code DRCHDV and the name of the party purchasing the Tender Document. The purchase price for the Tender Document may not be paid in cash and is not refundable in part or in full. If the Tender Document is not received, the purchase price for the Tender Document will be refunded to the payer within five days of the submission deadline.

12.

13.

Bids must be submitted in person between 10:00 and 12:00 on 26 September 2018 at the Customer Service Office of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (address: Columbus utca 17-23, 1145 Budapest, Hungary), in Hungarian, as specified in the Tender Document.

14.

The bid becomes binding on the bidder from the time it is submitted and remains binding until the tendering procedure has ended. Bidders may not exclude liability for failure to abide by their bid.

15.

16.

17.

Each bidder may submit only a single bid.

18.

Time limit for the adjudication of concession bids: within 90 days following the deadline for bids to be submitted.

19.

The Contracting Authority will ensure a level playing field and will not apply any preferential criteria.

20.

Tender adjudication criteria:

Assessment criteria relating to the content of the Programme of Research Work subject to concession:

—	professional merits of the Programme of Research Work (programme design aiming for maximum prospection of hydrocarbon),

—	the planned duration of the research,

—	the financial commitment undertaken when implementing the Programme of Research Work,

—	how up-to-date the envisaged technical solutions are,

—	the measures envisaged for protecting the environment and preventing and reducing damage in the course of the work subject to concession,

—	how soon commencement of production is envisaged (by law, within less than five years).

II)

Assessment criteria relating to the bidder’s ability to perform the concession contract:

—	the bidder’s financial standing, the availability of the resources needed to finance the work to be performed under the concession, and the proportion of this accounted for by own resources,

—	the total value of work performed in connection with hydrocarbon mining in the three years preceding the invitation to tender.

III)

Assessment criteria relating to payment obligations undertaken in the concession contract:

—	the net concession fee offered in comparison to the minimum concession fee set by the Minister,

—	the size of the mining royalty offered in comparison to the minimum mining royalty set by the Minister.

The detailed adjudication criteria and the legislation governing the procedure for authorising the concession work and how it is to be performed and completed are specified in the Tender Document.

21.

The concession contract

The concession contract is to be concluded within 90 days following the announcement of the result. This time limit may be extended by the Minister once only by a maximum of 60 days.

When submitting the bid, bidders must take account of Section 22/A(13) of the Mining Act, which states that in the case of hydrocarbons a mining operator’s prospection right or prospection permit may cover a total of no more than 15 000 km2 of prospection territory. When establishing the prospection territory, account must also be taken of the prospection territory of the mining operator that controls – within the meaning of the Civil Code – the mining operator wishing to obtain the prospection right or prospection permit. In the case of joint bids, each of the bidders must meet this criterion individually.

The draft concession contract is annexed to the Tender Document.

22.

Budapest, … … 2018.

Dr Miklós SESZTÁK

Minister

21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/13

(2018/C 217/06)

PUBLIC INVITATION TO TENDER FOR A CONCESSION FOR THE PROSPECTION, EXTRACTION AND EXPLOITATION OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY UNDER CONCESSION IN THE GÁDOROS AREA

On behalf of the Hungarian State, the Minister for National Development (‘the Contracting Authority’ or ‘the Minister’) as the minister responsible for mining and for overseeing state-owned assets hereby issues a public invitation to tender for the prospection, extraction and exploitation of geothermal energy under a concession contract on the basis of Act CXCVI of 2011 on national assets (‘the National Assets Act’), Act XVI of 1991 on concessions (‘the Concessions Act’) and Act XLVIII of 1993 on mining (‘the Mining Act’), subject to the following conditions.

The language of the tendering procedure is Hungarian.

Duration of the concession: 35 years from the entry into force of the concession contract; the original duration may be extended once without a further call for tenders for a maximum of half of its original duration if the Concession Holder and Concession Company have complied with all their obligations in accordance with the contract and on time.

Data on area designated for concession:

Area designated for concession: the area is situated within the municipalities listed in the table below in the counties of Békés and Csongrád.

Municipality	County	Municipality	County
Árpádhalom	Csongrád	Nagymágocs	Csongrád
Csorvás	Békés	Nagyszénás	Békés
Eperjes	Csongrád	Orosháza	Békés
Fábiánsebestyén	Csongrád	Szentes	Csongrád
Gádoros	Békés

Overburden of area designated for concession: 2 500 m from the surface and bedrock: 6 000 metres below Baltic Sea level

The corner point coordinates delimiting the area designated for concession can be viewed in the Uniform National Projection System on the website of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (www.mbfsz.gov.hu) by clicking on the ‘Koncesszió’ (‘Concessions’) drop-down menu, and on the website of the Ministry of National Development (www.kormany.hu/hu/nemzeti-fejlesztesi-miniszterium).

Size of area designated for concession: 419,4 km2.

Minimum net concession fee: HUF 21 000 000 (twenty one million forint) plus VAT, but a bid for a larger fixed amount may be entered in the tendering procedure. Once the result is published, the successful bidder must pay the concession fee in the amount, in the manner and by the date specified in the concession contract.

Participation in the concession tendering procedure is subject to payment of a participation fee of HUF 1 500 000 (one million five hundred thousand forint) plus VAT; this amount is to be paid in the manner specified in the Tender Document.

In addition to paying the participation fee, for their bid to be valid bidders must lodge a tendering security of HUF 15 000 000 (fifteen million forint) by the day preceding the deadline for submitting bids as a guarantee that the bid is binding. The tendering security paid will be forfeited to the Contracting Authority if the bidder withdraws or if the bidder is successful but then fails to conclude the contract or fails to pay the concession fee offered, in the amount, in the manner and by the deadline stipulated in the contract. The tendering security is to be paid in the manner specified in the Tender Document.

The lowest rate of the mining royalty payable on the basis of the concession contract will be 2 % in accordance with the decision of the Minister; a bid for a higher mining royalty may be entered in the tendering procedure, which if agreed is recorded in the concession contract and must be paid for the duration of the concession.

The legal, financial, technical and other conditions and information relating to the tendering procedure can be found in the Tender Document.

10.

11.

The purchase price for the Tender Document is HUF 100 000 (one hundred thousand forint) plus VAT, which must be paid by transfer into the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service’s appropriation use framework account No 10032000-01417179-00000000. The message accompanying the transfer must state the code GAGTDV and the name of the party purchasing the Tender Document. The purchase price for the Tender Document may not be paid in cash and is not refundable in part or in full. If the Tender Document is not received, the purchase price for the Tender Document will be refunded to the payer within five days of the submission deadline.

12.

13.

Bids must be submitted in person between 10.00 and 12.00 on 27 September 2018 at the Customer Service Office of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (address: Columbus utca 17-23, 1145 Budapest, Hungary), in Hungarian, as specified in the Tender Document.

14.

The bid becomes binding on the bidder from the time it is submitted and remains binding until the tendering procedure has ended. Bidders may not exclude liability for failure to abide by their bid.

15.

16.

The successful bidder will acquire the exclusive right for the prospection, extraction and exploitation of geothermal energy in the area designated for concession for the duration of the concession through the Concession Company mandatorily set up for that purpose. Once the decision establishing the geothermal protection boundary becomes final, the concession right for the prospection area will be restricted to the area of the geothermal protection boundary.

17.

Each bidder may submit only a single bid.

18.

Time limit for the adjudication of concession bids: within 90 days following the deadline for bids to be submitted.

19.

The Contracting Authority will ensure a level playing field and will not apply any preferential criteria.

20.

Tender adjudication criteria:

(I)

Assessment criteria relating to the content of the Programme of Research Work subject to concession:

—	professional merits of the Programme of Research Work (programme design aiming for maximum prospection of geothermal energy),

—	the planned duration of the research,

—	the financial commitment undertaken when implementing the Programme of Research Work,

—	how up-to-date the envisaged technical solutions are,

—	the measures envisaged for protecting the environment and preventing and reducing damage in the course of the work subject to concession,

—	how soon exploitation for energy purposes is envisaged (by law, within less than three years).

(II)

Assessment criteria relating to the bidder’s ability to perform the concession contract:

—	the bidder’s financial standing, the availability of the resources needed to finance the work to be performed under the concession, and the proportion of this accounted for by own resources,

—	the total value of work performed in connection with the prospection, extraction and exploitation of geothermal energy.

(III)

Assessment criteria relating to payment obligations undertaken in the concession contract:

—	the net concession fee offered in comparison to the minimum concession fee set by the Minister,

—	the size of the mining royalty offered in comparison to the minimum mining royalty set by the Minister.

The detailed adjudication criteria and the legislation governing the procedure for authorising the concession work and how it is to be performed and completed are specified in the Tender Document.

21.

The concession contract

The concession contract is to be concluded within 90 days following the announcement of the result. This time limit may be extended by the Minister once only by a maximum of 60 days.

The successful bidder is entitled to carry out the exclusive state-controlled economic activity (prospection, extraction and exploitation of geothermal energy in a delimited area) permitted under the concession for the duration of the concession in accordance with the relevant legislation and the concession contract.

The draft concession contract is annexed to the Tender Document.

22.

Budapest, … … 2018.

Dr Miklós SESZTÁK

Minister

21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/17

(2018/C 217/07)

PUBLIC INVITATION TO TENDER FOR A CONCESSION FOR THE PROSPECTION, EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBON UNDER CONCESSION IN THE KÖRÖSLADÁNY AREA

The language of the tendering procedure is Hungarian.

Data on area designated for concession:

Area designated for concession: the area is situated within the municipalities listed in the table below in the counties of Békés and Jász–Nagykun–Szolnok.

Municipality	County	Municipality	County
Dévaványa	Békés	Körösladány	Békés
Ecsegfalva	Békés	Mezőtúr	Jász–Nagykun–Szolnok
Gyomaendrőd	Békés	Szeghalom	Békés
Kertészsziget	Békés	Túrkeve	Jász–Nagykun–Szolnok

Overburden of area designated for concession: surface and bedrock: 5 000 metres below Baltic Sea level

Areas cleared to make way for a mine site established for hydrocarbon mineral resources are not included in the area designated for concession.

Size of area designated for concession: 600,572 km2.

Minimum net concession fee: HUF 86 000 000 (eighty-six million forint) plus VAT, but a bid for a larger fixed amount may be entered in the tendering procedure. Once the result is published, the successful bidder must pay the concession fee in the amount, in the manner and by the date specified in the concession contract.

The legal, financial, technical and other conditions and information relating to the tendering procedure can be found in the Tender Document.

10.

11.

The purchase price for the Tender Document is HUF 100 000 (one hundred thousand forint) plus VAT, which must be paid by transfer into the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service’s appropriation use framework account No 10032000-01417179-00000000. The message accompanying the transfer must state the code KOCHDV and the name of the party purchasing the Tender Document. The purchase price for the Tender Document may not be paid in cash and is not refundable in part or in full. If the Tender Document is not received, the purchase price for the Tender Document will be refunded to the payer within five days of the submission deadline.

12.

13.

14.

The bid becomes binding on the bidder from the time it is submitted and remains binding until the tendering procedure has ended. Bidders may not exclude liability for failure to abide by their bid.

15.

16.

17.

Each bidder may submit only a single bid.

18.

Time limit for the adjudication of concession bids: within 90 days following the deadline for bids to be submitted.

19.

The Contracting Authority will ensure a level playing field and will not apply any preferential criteria.

20.

Tender adjudication criteria:

Assessment criteria relating to the content of the Programme of Research Work subject to concession:

—	professional merits of the Programme of Research Work (programme design aiming for maximum prospection of hydrocarbon),

—	the planned duration of the research,

—	the financial commitment undertaken when implementing the Programme of Research Work,

—	how up-to-date the envisaged technical solutions are,

—	the measures envisaged for protecting the environment and preventing and reducing damage in the course of the work subject to concession,

—	how soon commencement of production is envisaged (by law, within less than five years).

II)

Assessment criteria relating to the bidder’s ability to perform the concession contract:

—	the bidder’s financial standing, the availability of the resources needed to finance the work to be performed under the concession, and the proportion of this accounted for by own resources,

—	the total value of work performed in connection with hydrocarbon mining in the three years preceding the invitation to tender.

III)

Assessment criteria relating to payment obligations undertaken in the concession contract:

—	the net concession fee offered in comparison to the minimum concession fee set by the Minister,

—	the size of the mining royalty offered in comparison to the minimum mining royalty set by the Minister.

The detailed adjudication criteria and the legislation governing the procedure for authorising the concession work and how it is to be performed and completed are specified in the Tender Document.

21.

The concession contract

The concession contract is to be concluded within 90 days following the announcement of the result. This time limit may be extended by the Minister once only by a maximum of 60 days.

The draft concession contract is annexed to the Tender Document.

22.

Budapest, … … 2018.

Dr Miklós SESZTÁK

Minister

21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/21

(2018/C 217/08)

PUBLIC INVITATION TO TENDER FOR A CONCESSION FOR THE PROSPECTION, EXTRACTION AND EXPLOITATION OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY UNDER CONCESSION IN THE NAGYKANIZSA-NYUGAT AREA

On behalf of the Hungarian State, the Minister for National Development (‘the Contracting Authority’ or ‘the Minister’), as the minister responsible for mining and for overseeing state-owned assets, hereby issues a public invitation to tender for the prospection, extraction and exploitation of geothermal energy under a concession contract on the basis of Act CXCVI of 2011 on national assets (‘the National Assets Act’), Act XVI of 1991 on concessions (‘the Concessions Act’) and Act XLVIII of 1993 on mining (‘the Mining Act’), subject to the following conditions.

The language of the tendering procedure is Hungarian.

Data on area designated for concession:

Area designated for concession: the area is situated within the municipalities listed in the table below in the counties of Somogy and Zala.

Municipality	County	Municipality	County
Becsehely	Zala	Petrivente	Zala
Belezna	Zala	Rigyác	Zala
Eszteregnye	Zala	Semjénháza	Zala
Fityeház	Zala	Sormás	Zala
Letenye	Zala	Surd	Zala
Molnári	Zala	Szepetnek	Zala
Murakeresztúr	Zala	Tótszentmárton	Zala
Murarátka	Zala	Tótszerdahely	Zala
Nagykanizsa	Zala	Zajk	Zala
Őrtilos	Somogy

Overburden of area designated for concession: 2 500 m from the surface and bedrock: 6 000 metres below Baltic Sea level

Size of area designated for concession: 257,913 km2.

Minimum net concession fee: HUF 43 000 000 (forty-three million forint) plus VAT, but a bid for a larger fixed amount may be entered in the tendering procedure. Once the result is published, the successful bidder must pay the concession fee in the amount, in the manner and by the date specified in the concession contract.

The legal, financial, technical and other conditions and information relating to the tendering procedure can be found in the Tender Document.

10.

11.

The purchase price for the Tender Document is HUF 100 000 (one hundred thousand forint) plus VAT, which must be paid by transfer into the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service’s appropriation use framework account No 10032000-01417179-00000000. The message accompanying the transfer must state the code NAGTDV and the name of the party purchasing the Tender Document. The purchase price for the Tender Document may not be paid in cash and is not refundable in part or in full. If the Tender Document is not received, the purchase price for the Tender Document will be refunded to the payer within five days of the submission deadline.

12.

13.

Bids must be submitted in person between 10:00 and 12:00 on 27 September 2018 at the Customer Service Office of the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service (address: Columbus utca 17-23, 1145 Budapest, Hungary), in Hungarian, as specified in the Tender Document.

14.

The bid becomes binding on the bidder from the time it is submitted and remains binding until the tendering procedure has ended. Bidders may not exclude liability for failure to abide by their bid.

15.

16.

17.

Each bidder may submit only a single bid.

18.

Time limit for the adjudication of concession bids: within 90 days following the deadline for bids to be submitted.

19.

The Contracting Authority will ensure a level playing field and will not apply any preferential criteria.

20.

Tender adjudication criteria:

Assessment criteria relating to the content of the Programme of Research Work subject to concession:

—	professional merits of the Programme of Research Work (programme design aiming for maximum prospection of geothermal energy),

—	the planned duration of the research,

—	the financial commitment undertaken when implementing the Programme of Research Work,

—	how up-to-date the envisaged technical solutions are,

—	the measures envisaged for protecting the environment and preventing and reducing damage in the course of the work subject to concession,

—	how soon exploitation for energy purposes is envisaged (by law, within less than three years).

II)

Assessment criteria relating to the bidder’s ability to perform the concession contract:

—	the bidder’s financial standing, the availability of the resources needed to finance the work to be performed under the concession, and the proportion of this accounted for by own resources,

—	the total value of work performed in connection with the prospection, extraction and exploitation of geothermal energy.

III)

Assessment criteria relating to payment obligations undertaken in the concession contract:

—	the net concession fee offered in comparison to the minimum concession fee set by the Minister,

—	the size of the mining royalty offered in comparison to the minimum mining royalty set by the Minister.

The detailed adjudication criteria and the legislation governing the procedure for authorising the concession work and how it is to be performed and completed are specified in the Tender Document.

21.

The concession contract

The concession contract is to be concluded within 90 days following the announcement of the result. This time limit may be extended by the Minister once only by a maximum of 60 days.

The draft concession contract is annexed to the Tender Document.

22.

Budapest, … … 2018.

Dr Miklós SESZTÁK

Minister

21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/25

(2018/C 217/09)

PUBLIC INVITATION TO TENDER FOR A CONCESSION FOR THE PROSPECTION, EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBON UNDER CONCESSION IN THE SZEGED-DÉLKELET AREA

The language of the tendering procedure is Hungarian.

Data on area designated for concession:

Area designated for concession: The area is situated within the municipalities listed in the table below in the county of Csongrád:

Municipality	County	Municipality	County
Algyő	Csongrád	Kübekháza	Csongrád
Deszk	Csongrád	Makó	Csongrád
Domaszék	Csongrád	Maroslele	Csongrád
Ferencszállás	Csongrád	Röszke	Csongrád
Hódmezővásárhely	Csongrád	Szeged	Csongrád
Kiszombor	Csongrád	Tiszasziget	Csongrád
Klárafalva	Csongrád	Újszentiván	Csongrád

Overburden of area designated for concession: surface and bedrock: 5 000 metres below Baltic Sea level

Areas cleared to make way for a mine site established for hydrocarbon mineral resources are not included in the area designated for concession.

Size of area designated for concession: 278,809 km2.

Minimum net concession fee: HUF 144 000 000 (one hundred and forty-four million forint) plus VAT, but a bid for a larger fixed amount may be entered in the tendering procedure. Once the result is published, the successful bidder must pay the concession fee in the amount, in the manner and by the date specified in the concession contract.

The legal, financial, technical and other conditions and information relating to the tendering procedure can be found in the Tender Document.

10.

11.

The purchase price for the Tender Document is HUF 100 000 (one hundred thousand forint) plus VAT, which must be paid by transfer into the Hungarian Mining and Geological Service’s appropriation use framework account No 10032000-01417179-00000000. The message accompanying the transfer must state the code SZCHDV and the name of the party purchasing the Tender Document. The purchase price for the Tender Document may not be paid in cash and is not refundable in part or in full. If the Tender Document is not received, the purchase price for the Tender Document will be refunded to the payer within five days of the submission deadline.

12.

13.

14.

The bid becomes binding on the bidder from the time it is submitted and remains binding until the tendering procedure has ended. Bidders may not exclude liability for failure to abide by their bid.

15.

16.

17.

Each bidder may submit only a single bid.

18.

Time limit for the adjudication of concession bids: within 90 days following the deadline for bids to be submitted.

19.

The Contracting Authority will ensure a level playing field and will not apply any preferential criteria.

20.

Tender adjudication criteria:

Assessment criteria relating to the content of the Programme of Research Work subject to concession:

—	professional merits of the Programme of Research Work (programme design aiming for maximum prospection of hydrocarbon),

—	the planned duration of the research,

—	the financial commitment undertaken when implementing the Programme of Research Work,

—	how up-to-date the envisaged technical solutions are,

—	the measures envisaged for protecting the environment and preventing and reducing damage in the course of the work subject to concession,

—	how soon commencement of production is envisaged (by law, within less than five years).

II)

Assessment criteria relating to the bidder’s ability to perform the concession contract:

—	the bidder’s financial standing, the availability of the resources needed to finance the work to be performed under the concession, and the proportion of this accounted for by own resources,

—	the total value of work performed in connection with hydrocarbon mining in the three years preceding the invitation to tender.

III)

Assessment criteria relating to payment obligations undertaken in the concession contract:

—	the net concession fee offered in comparison to the minimum concession fee set by the Minister,

—	the size of the mining royalty offered in comparison to the minimum mining royalty set by the Minister.

The detailed adjudication criteria and the legislation governing the procedure for authorising the concession work and how it is to be performed and completed are specified in the Tender Document.

21.

The concession contract

The concession contract is to be concluded within 90 days following the announcement of the result. This time limit may be extended by the Minister once only by a maximum of 60 days.

When submitting the bid, bidders must take account of Section 22/A(13) of the Mining Act, which states that in the case of hydrocarbons a mining operator’s prospection right or prospection permit may cover a total of no more than 15 000 km2 of prospection territory. When establishing the prospection territory, account must also be taken of the prospection territory of the mining operator that controls – within the meaning of the Civil Code – the mining operator wishing to obtain the prospection right or prospection permit. In the case of joint bids, each of the bidders must meet this criterion individually.

The draft concession contract is annexed to the Tender Document.

22.

Budapest, … … 2018.

Dr Miklós SESZTÁK

Minister

21.6.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 217/29

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.8973 — Mitsui/Kansai/JV)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2018/C 217/10)

On 14 June 2018, 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:

—	Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Japan, ‘Mitsui’),

—	Kansai Paint Co., Ltd. (Japan, ‘Kansai’)

—	Kansai Helios Coatings GmbH, currently solely controlled by Kansai (Austria, the ‘JV’)

Mitsui proposes to acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the JV together with Kansai. Therefore, the transaction leads to a shift from sole to joint control of the JV.

The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—

Mitsui is a Japanese trading house engaged in a number of worldwide commodity and other businesses, including the sale, distribution, purchase, marketing and supply of products in business areas such as iron and steel, coal and non-ferrous metals, machinery electronics, chemicals, and energy-related commodities.

—	Kansai is a Japanese-based chemical company whose main products are industrial and decorative coatings. The company operates under the ALESCO corporate brand.

—	The JV controls the Helios Group, a European coatings manufacturer. Helios Group focuses on industrial applications, but has also some activities in decorative and other types of coatings as well as resins, chemicals, adhesives and starches.

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.

Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

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.8973 — Mitsui/Kansai/JV

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

E-mail: 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’).

(2) OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

		ISSN 1977-091X
Official Journal of the European Union		C 217

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 61 21 June 2018

Contents		page
	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Commission
2018/C 217/01	Euro exchange rates	1
2018/C 217/02	Commission Decision of 18 June 2018 to replace a member of the REFIT Platform Stakeholder group	2
	Court of Auditors
2018/C 217/03	Special Report No 14/2018 — The EU Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence: more progress needed	4
	NOTICES FROM MEMBER STATES
2018/C 217/04	Communication from the Minister for National Development of Hungary pursuant to Article 3(2) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons	5
2018/C 217/05	Communication from the Minister for National Development of Hungary pursuant to Article 3(2) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons	9
2018/C 217/06	Communication from the Minister for National Development of Hungary pursuant to Article 3(2) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons	13
2018/C 217/07	Communication from the Minister for National Development of Hungary pursuant to Article 3(2) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons	17
2018/C 217/08	Communication from the Minister for National Development of Hungary pursuant to Article 3(2) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons	21
2018/C 217/09	Communication from the Minister for National Development of Hungary pursuant to Article 3(2) of Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons	25

	V Announcements
	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY
	European Commission
2018/C 217/10	Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.8973 — Mitsui/Kansai/JV) — Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 1)	29