EN

Case No COMP/M.3503 - PPR / FNAC / MARINOPOULOS / JV

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 02/09/2004

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 32004M3503

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 02-IX-2004

SG-Greffe(2004) D/ 203882 / 203883

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying parties

Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.3503 - PPR/FNAC/MARINOPOULOS/JV Notification of 03/08/2004 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No. C 203, 11/08/2004, page 23

1.On 03/08/04, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 by which the undertakings FNAC S.A. (ìFNACî, France) belonging to the group Pinault-Printemps-Redoute S.A. (ìPPRî, France) and Marinopoulos Brothers S.A. (ìMarinopoulosî, Greece) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of an undertaking active in the retail sale of entertainment and cultural products in Greece and Cyprus by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

-- for PPR : luxury products and retail of mass marketing products;

-- for FNAC : retail sale of entertainment and cultural products;

1OJ L 24, 29.1.2004 p. 1

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

-- for Marinopoulos : food and non-food products retail sale in Greece.

3.After examination of the notification, the Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 and of paragraph 5, subparagraph (a) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004.

4.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 (EC) No. 139/2004.

For the Commission

(Signed) Mario MONTI Member of the Commission

2Available on DG COMP website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/mergers/legislation/consultation/simplified_tru.pdf

2