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Case No COMP/M.2752 - KINGFISHER / CASTORAMA DUBOIS

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 06/08/2002

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 302M2752

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 06/08/2002

SG (2002) D/231111

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

PUBLIC VERSION

To the notifying party

Dear Sirs,

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.2752 ñ KINGFISHER/CASTORAMA DUBOIS Notification of 08/07/2002 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/891 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities N∞. C 171 of 17/07/2002 page 6.

1.On 08/07/2002, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which the undertaking Kingfisher plc (ìKingfisherî ñ United-Kingdom) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation sole control of the undertaking Castorama Dubois Investissements S.C.A. (ìCastoramaî - France) by way of exercise of an option. Castorama is at present jointly controlled by Kingfisher and CommanditÈs.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-for Kingfisher: retailing of home improvement and electrical goods, mainly domestic electrical appliance and consumers electronics.

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. TELEX: COMEU B 21877 - Telegraphic address: COMEUR Brussels

-for Castorama: retailing of repair, maintenance and improvement products for the home.

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 b, of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of

certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/892.

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) Christopher PATTEN Member of the Commission

2OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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