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REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 30/01/2003

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 303M3000

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 30/01/2003

SG (2003) D/228320

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying party

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

Subject: Case No COMP/M.3000 ñ SCHRODER VENTURES LTD/COMPASS Notification of 18 December 2002 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation 1(EEC) No. 4064/89 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C 4 of 09.01.2003

1.On 18/12/2002, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 by which the undertaking Permira Europe II Managers LP (ìPermiraî) controlled by Schroder Ventures Ltd (ìSchroder Venturesî) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of parts of the undertaking Compass Group Plc. (ìCompassî), namely the businesses of Travelodge and Little Chef by way of purchase of assets.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-- for undertaking Schroder Ventures: venture capital, advisory and consultancy services to buy-out and venture capital 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 undertaking Travelodge/ Little Chef: hotels, roadside catering services (restaurants).

3.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 .

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 (EEC) No. 4064/89.

For the Commission

Signed by Mario MONTI Member of the Commission

2OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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