EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Competition

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 26/03/2018

In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32018M8836

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 26.3.2018 C(2018) 1998 final

PUBLIC VERSION

To the notifying party

Dear Sir or Madam,

1.1. On 1 March 2018, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which 3i Group Plc (The United Kingdom), through Crown Bidco BV, acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control over the whole of the undertaking Sits Holding BV (The Netherlands), by way of purchase of shares.

2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

-– 3i: investment management focused on midmarket private equity and infrastructure investments. 3i invests in three core sectors: business and technology services, consumer and industrial.

-– Crown Bidco BV: vehicle company created for the purpose of this transaction

-– Sits: manufacture, under the name Royal Sanders, of personal care products, such as: bath and shower, skin care products, deodorants and perfumes. It manufactures primarily for retailers and brand owners. It also owns a portfolio of branded care products which includes Van Gils, Sanicur and Odorex.

1OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the 'Merger Regulation'). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ('TFEU') has introduced certain changes, such as the replacement of 'Community' by 'Union' and 'common market' by 'internal market'. The terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.

2OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the 'EEA Agreement').

3Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 90, 9.3.2018, p. 14.

Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel, BELGIË

Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu.

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

4.4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement.

For the Commission

(signed)

Johannes LAITENBERGER Director-General

4OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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