Case M.8851 - BASF / BAYER DIVESTMENT BUSINESS
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Competition Case M.8851 - BASF / BAYER DIVESTMENT BUSINESS Only the English text is available and authentic. REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE Article 6(1)(b) in conjunction with Art 6(2) Date: 30/04/2018 In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32018M8851 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 30.4.2018 C(2018) 2747 final PUBLIC VERSION In the published version of this decision, some information has been omitted pursuant to Article 17(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 concerning non-disclosure of business secrets and other confidential information. The omissions are shown thus […]. Where possible the information omitted has been replaced by ranges of figures or a general description. To the notifying party Subject: Case M.8851 – BASF/Bayer Divestment Business Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) in conjunction with Article 6(2) of Council Regulation No 139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area2 1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the 'Merger Regulation'). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ('TFEU') has introduced certain changes, such as the replacement of 'Community' by 'Union' and 'common market' by 'internal market'. The terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision. 2 OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the 'EEA Agreement'). Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel, BELGIË Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: [email protected]. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. THE PARTIES ............................................................................................................ 5 2. THE CONCENTRATION .......................................................................................... 6 3. UNION DIMENSION ................................................................................................. 6 4. COMPETITIVE ASSESSMENT ................................................................................ 6 4.1. Weed management ............................................................................................ 7 4.1.1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 7 4.1.2. Definition of innovation spaces in NSH .............................................. 8 4.1.2.1. Commission precedents ....................................................... 8 4.1.2.2. Notifying Party's views ....................................................... 9 4.1.2.3. Commission assessment ...................................................... 9 4.1.2.4. Conclusion ........................................................................... 9 4.1.3. Activities of the Parties and their competitors..................................... 9 4.1.3.1. BASF's herbicide innovation ............................................... 9 4.1.3.2. The Bayer Divestment Business's herbicide innovation .......................................................................... 12 4.1.3.3. Competitors' innovation in NSH ....................................... 14 4.1.4. Notifying Party's views ...................................................................... 15 4.1.5. Competitive assessment in NSH innovation ..................................... 16 4.1.5.1. The Transaction would likely reduce innovation competition between the Parties' overlapping and close NSH pipeline projects with a [NSH line of research 1] ......................................................................... 16 4.1.5.2. The Bayer Divestment Business's [NSH line of research 2] does not overlap with BASF's NSH innovation efforts............................................................... 22 4.1.5.3. The Bayer Divestment Business's [NSH line of research 3] does not overlap with BASF's NSH innovation efforts............................................................... 23 4.1.6. Conclusion ......................................................................................... 24 4.2. Traits ................................................................................................................ 24 4.2.1. Introduction ....................................................................................... 24 4.2.2. Activities of the Parties ..................................................................... 27 4.2.2.1. BASF ................................................................................. 27 4.2.2.2. Bayer Divestment Business ............................................... 29 4.2.2.3. Overlaps between BASF and Bayer Divestment Business ............................................................................. 30 2 4.2.3. Market definition ............................................................................... 31 4.2.3.1. Product market definition .................................................. 31 4.2.3.2. Geographic market definition ............................................ 33 4.2.4. Competitive assessment: price/ product competition in HT traits ................................................................................................... 34 4.2.4.1. Notifying Party's view ....................................................... 34 4.2.4.2. Commission assessment .................................................... 34 4.2.4.3. Conclusions on price/product competition in HT traits ................................................................................... 37 4.2.5. Competitive assessment: innovation competition in GM HT traits ................................................................................................... 37 4.2.5.1. Notifying Party's view ....................................................... 37 4.2.5.2. Commission assessment .................................................... 37 4.2.5.3. Conclusions on competition in GM HT trait innovation .......................................................................... 40 4.2.6. Competitive assessment: innovation competition in GM DR traits ................................................................................................... 40 4.2.6.1. Notifying Party's view ....................................................... 40 4.2.6.2. Commission assessment .................................................... 41 4.2.6.3. Conclusion on innovation competition in GM DR traits ................................................................................... 43 4.2.7. Conclusion on traits ........................................................................... 43 4.3. Seed treatment ................................................................................................. 43 4.3.1. Introduction ....................................................................................... 43 4.3.2. Market definition ............................................................................... 44 4.3.2.1. Product Market Definition ................................................. 44 4.3.2.2. Geographic market definition ............................................ 46 4.3.3. Activities of the Parties ..................................................................... 46 4.3.3.1. BASF's activities in seed treatment ................................... 46 4.3.3.2. Bayer Divestment Business' activities in seed treatment ............................................................................ 47 4.3.4. Competitive assessment in nematicidal seed treatment ..................... 48 4.3.4.1. Notifying Party arguments ................................................ 48 4.3.4.2. Commission assessment .................................................... 48 4.3.4.3. Conclusion on nematicidal seed treatment ........................ 52 4.3.5. Insecticidal seed treatment................................................................. 52 4.3.6. Vertical links between seed treatment (up-stream) and (treated) seeds (down-stream) ........................................................... 53 4.3.7. Conclusion on seed treatment ............................................................ 53 3 4.4. Digital Agriculture ........................................................................................... 53 4.4.1. Overview of the digital agriculture sector ......................................... 53 4.4.2. Activities of the Parties in digital agriculture .................................... 54 4.4.2.1. BASF's activities in digital agriculture .............................. 54 4.4.2.2. The Bayer Digital Agriculture Assets ............................... 57 4.4.3. Market definition ............................................................................... 59 4.4.3.1. Product market definition .................................................. 59 4.4.3.2. Geographic market definition ............................................ 60 4.4.4. Competitive assessment: Digital agriculture ..................................... 61 4.4.4.1. Notifying Party's views ..................................................... 61 4.4.4.2. Commission assessment .................................................... 61 4.4.5. Conclusion on digital agriculture ...................................................... 62 5. PROPOSED REMEDIES .......................................................................................... 62 5.1. Framework of the assessment of the commitments ......................................... 62 5.2. Commitments submitted by the Notifying Party