14.3.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 70/35 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 19 July 2000 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market and the functioning of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/M.1882 — Pirelli/BICC) (notified under document number C(2000) 2156) (Only the English text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2003/176/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and in particular Article 57(2)(a) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 of 21 December 1989 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (!), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1310/ 97 (3, and in particular Article 8(2) thereof, Having regard to the Commission's decision of 17 April 2000 to initiate proceedings in this case, Having regard to the opinion of the Advisory Committee on Concentrations (?), Whereas: (1)  On 14 March 2000, the Commission received a notifica- tion pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EEC) No 4064/ 89 (the Merger Regulation) of a proposed concentration whereby Pirelli Cavi e Sistemi SpA (Pirelli) acquires control within the meaning of Article 3(1)b of the Merger Regulation of part of the business of BICC General (the target ‘BICC’ companies) in the field of general wiring and power cables in the United Kingdom, Italy, Asia and Africa, by way of purchase of all the shares in these companies. () O] L 395, 30.12.1989, p. 1 (corrected version in O] L 257, 21.9.1990, p. 13). () 0J C 180, 9.7.1997, p. 1. () OJ C 59, 14.3.2003, p. 25. ) After preliminary examination of the notification, the Commission concluded that the proposed concentration could create or strengthen a dominant position as a result of which effective competition would be signifi- cantly impeded in the common market or in a substan- tial part of it, and as such raised serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market. On 17 April 2000 the Commission decided, in accor- dance with Article 6(1)(c) of the Merger Regulation to initiate proceedings in this case. I. THE PARTIES Pirelli is a company established under Italian law belonging to the Pirelli Group. Pirelli is the group's oper- ating company for its production activities in respect of cables and cable systems. BICC is a company based in the United Kingdom which is active worldwide in the development, design and manufacture of cable products, copper, aluminium and fibre optic wire products. In 1998 BICC put its world- wide energy cable business up for sale. In May 1999 the entire business, including the companies subject to the proposed acquisition by Pirelli, was acquired by the firm General of the United States of America.