Dear colleagues
I would like to keep you informed of the progress and latest information concerning the proposed
merger of Axalto with Gemplus.
The European Commission has announced that is has extended by two weeks its decision of the
antitrust review into the merger. The Commission will give a decision on 19 May which will either
be:
|
|
approval for the merger to go ahead or |
|
|
|
request for further information which marks the start of a
second phase of the review. |
This two week extension is a common practice used by the Commission to examine particular issues
and/or explore divestitures. In our case, the Commission is looking in detail at issues including
access to patents of the combined company in order to ensure the continuity of our current patent
licensing practice.
We remain positive with these new developments of the antitrust review.
We will continue to keep you informed of further progress as it happens.
Best regards,
Frans Spaargaren
EVP and CFO, Head of the Gemalto Integration Planning Project
Investors and security holders who are U.S. persons or who are located in the United States should
read any solicitation/recommendation statement of Gemplus on Schedule 14D-9 when and if filed by
Gemplus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) because it will contain important
information. The solicitation/recommendation statement and other public filings made from time to
time by Gemplus with the SEC are available without charge from the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
This document, if issued, will also be available for inspection and copying at the public reference
room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, United States. For
further information about the public reference room, call the SEC at
+1 800 732 0330.