Case No COMP/M.3250 - PERMIRA III / GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP / BLACKSTONE GROUP / DEBENHAMS

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REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 09/09/2003

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 303M3250

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 08.09.2003 SG (2003) D/231580

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying parties

Dear Sir,

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.3250 ñ PERMIRA EUROPE III / GOLDMAN SACHS / BLACKSTONE / DEBENHAMS Notification of 7 August 2003 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89. Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C195 on 19.08.2003.

1.On 7.8.2003, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which the undertaking Permira Europe III (UK), GS Capital Partners 2000 LP and affiliates, belonging to the Goldman Sachs Group (ìGoldman Sachsî) (USA) and Blackstone Capital Partners IV Merchant Banking Fund L.P. and affiliates, belonging to the Blackstone Group (ìBlackstoneî) (USA) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Debenhams plc (UK) by way of public bid announced on 29 July 2003.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-- for Permira Europe III, Goldman Sachs and Blackstone: private equity funds

-- for Debenhams: retailing a range of consumer, household and food goods.

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.

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 b, of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 .

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,

Mario MONTI Member of the Commission

2OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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