EN

Case No COMP/M.2109 - REUTERS / VERLAGSGRUPPE HANDELSBLATT / METEOR

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 22/11/2000

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 300M2109

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 22/11/2000

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying parties:

Dear Madam and Sir,

Subject: Case No. COMP/M. 2109 – Reuters/Handelsblatt/Meteor

Notification of 20.10.2000 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 14064/89 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C 310, 28/10/2000, page 19

1.On 20.10.2000, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which the undertakings Reuters Group PLC and Verlagsgruppe Handelsblatt GmbH belonging to the Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co. KG acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of the undertaking Meteor GmbH & Co. KG by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-- for Reuters Group: development and sale of information based products and related services;

-- for Verlagsgruppe Handelsblatt: publishing of newspapers and financial magazines, news television activities and related services;

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.

Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Bruxelles/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium Telephone: exchange 299.11.11 Telex: COMEU B 21877. Telegraphic address: COMEUR Brussels.

- for Meteor: provision of web based financial information to private investors.

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) Mario MONTI Member of the Commission

2OJ C 217, 29.07.2000, p. 32.

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