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REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 18/07/2002

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 302M2847

Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-2985 Luxembourg

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 18.07.2002

SG (2002) D/230814

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

PUBLIC VERSION

To the notifying parties

Dear Sirs,

1.On 19.06.2002 the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which the undertaking CVC Group, United Kingdom, acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of six retail undertakings: Optische Exploitatie Maatschappij B.V., Siebel B.V., Perry Sport B.V., Kijkshop B.V., Scapino B.V. and PrÈnatal Moeder en Kind B.V. (jointly referred to as ìTarget Groupî), the Netherlands, by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

For CVC Group: investment and management advice to and management of investments on behalf of investment funds.

1OJ L 395, 30.12.1989 p. 1; corrected version OJ L 257 of 21.9.1990, p. 13, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1310/97, OJ L 180, 9.7.1997, p. 1, corrigendum in OJ L 40, 13.2.1998, p. 17.

Commission europÈenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.

For Target Group: (i) retail and wholesale trade in optical products (OEM); (ii) manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade of jewellery and related products (IMAS, incl. Siebel); (iii) retail and wholesale trade in sports and leisure products (Perry Sport); (iv) retail and wholesale trade of durable consumer goods (Kijkshop); (v) retail and wholesale trade in shoes (Scapino); and (vi) retail and wholesale trade in baby products (PrÈnatal).

2.After examination of the notification, the Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 and of paragraph 4, subparagraph c, of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89.

3.For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the common market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89.

For the Commission,

(Signed) Mario MONTI

2OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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