27. 8. 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 217/35 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 4 May 1993 relating to a proceeding under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 (Case IV/M. 291 - KNP/BT/VRG) (Only the English text is authentic) (93/466/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, : Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 of 21 December 1989 on the control of concentrations between undertakings ('), and in particular Article 8 (2) thereof, Having regard to the Commission Decision of 18 January 1993 to initiate proceedings in this case, Having given the undertakings concerned the opportunity to make known their views on the objections raised by the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the Advisory Committee on Concentrations (%), Whereas : I. NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS (1) These proceedings relate to a concentration that was notified to the ~Commission pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 (‘The Merger Regulation’) on 8 December 1992. () OJ No L 395, 3. 12. 1989, p. 1 ; Corrigendum in OJ L No 257, 21. 9. 1990, p. 13. () OJ No C 231, 27. 8. 1993, p. 5. @ G The concentration concerns the proposed merger of NV Koninklijke KNP (KNP), Biihrmann- Tetterode NV (BT) and VRG-group (VRG). KNP has been transformed into a holding company (NV Koninkijke KNP BT) which made a public offer for all the shares of BT and VRG on 8 February 1993. The offer became unconditional on § March 1993. In its Decision of 18 January 1993, the Commis- sion declared that the proposed concentration raised serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market. The Commission therefore initiated proceedings in this case pursuant to Article 6 (1) (c) of the Merger Regulation. II. THE PARTIES KNP is one of the leading Buropean producers of paper, board and packaging. KNP has three divi- sions: the fine paper division which produces wood-free coated paper ; the publication paper divi- sion which produces wood-containing coated paper ; and the solid board division which produces graphic board, solid board and wooden packaging. BT is a significant paper and packaging group. It has three main areas of activity in Europe, these being the graphic and business systems division which distributes printing and office systems, the graphic paper division which acts as an indepen- dent paper merchant, and the packaging divisions which produce flexible and protective packaging and solid board.