EN

Case No COMP/M.3957 ñ PAI Partners / CROWN HOLDINGS GPC

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 27/09/2005

In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32005M3957

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 27.09.2005

SG-Greffe(2005) D/205235

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

PUBLIC VERSION

To the notifying party

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

Subject: Case No. COMP/M.3957 - PAI Partners / Crown Holding GPC Notification of 23/08/05 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2004 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No. 211, dated 30/08/2005/2005, page 2.

1.On 23.08.2005, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 by which the undertaking PAI Partners S.A.S. (PAI, France) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of the France / US based undertaking Crown Holdings Inc. Global Closures Group (ìGPCî) by way of purchase of shares and assets.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are :

-- for undertaking PAI: private equity investment company, advising investment funds that hold a number of portfolio companies in various industries.

-- for undertaking GPC: production and supply of closures for consumer packaging, in addition to packaging such as PET bottles.

1OJ L 24, 29.1.2004 p. 1

Commission europÈenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.

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

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 (EC) No. 139/2004.

For the Commission, signed Neelie KROES Member of the Commission

2OJ C 56, 05.3.2005 p.32

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