AUTHORISATION TO ACQUIRE SHARES OF UAB GIRIŲ BIZONAS

The Competition Council authorised Ingka Beheer BV, a company established in the Kingdom of the Netherlands  to implement a concentration deal by acquiring up to 100 percent of shares of UAB Girių bizonas according to the notification submitted to the Competition Council. The authorisation was issued having established that the intended concentration will not create or strengthen any dominant position or significantly impede competition in the relevant markets.

UAB Girių bizonas operating in a Lithuanian town Kazlų Rūda is a manufacturer of wood particle boards and furniture accessories, and provides different related services. The only Lithuania-registered undertaking related to Ingka Beheer BV seeking to acquire the control is UAB IKEA TRADING SERVICES whose activities are primarily the promotion of furniture, household appliances, metal and iron articles. This company operating as part of the Swedish furniture concern IKEAS group is engaged in retail trading in furniture; it operates in a number of countries; however, IKEA group is not performing any direct trading in furniture produced or marked by IKEA trade mark in the Baltic States.

As indicated in the notification on the intended concentration, in Lithuania IKEA will seek to optimise and ensure a more efficient organisation of wood particle board production, since currently the capacities of UAB Girių bizonas significantly enhanced having launched a new wood particle board production line in 2007 are not fully utilised, in addition to the plans to double the volumes of furniture accessories in the course of the coming 5 years.