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Case No COMP/M.3358 - HOGG ROBINSON / KUONI

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EEC) No 4064/89 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 29/01/2004

Also available in the CELEX database Document No 304M3358

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

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 29/01/2004

SG-Greffe(2004) D/200309

PUBLIC VERSION

MERGER PROCEDURE ARTICLE 6(1)(b) DECISION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE

To the notifying party

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

1.On 18.12.2003, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 by which the undertaking Hogg Robinson plc (ìHogg Robinsonî, UK), controlled by the Schrˆder Ventures Ltd, acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of the corporate travel business of Kuoni Reisen Holding AG by way of purchase of shares of whole of the undertakings Kuoni Gesch‰ftsreisen AG (Switzerland), Kuoni Reisen Beteiligungs-GmbH (Germany), BTI Business Travel International Deutschland GmbH (Germany), Kuoni Gesch‰ftsreisen GmbH (Austria) and Kuoni Utazasi Iroda Kft (Hungary) (all together ìKuoni businessî).

1OJ L 395, 30.12.1989 p. 1; corrigendum: OJ L 257, 21.9.1990, p. 13.

2OJ L 180, 9. 7. 1997, p. 1; corrigendum 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.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

-- for Hogg Robinson : specialist corporate and employee services company providing outsourcing and consultancy services for example in the areas business travel

-- for Kuoni business : business travel services for corporate customers

3.After examination of the notification, the Commission has concluded that the notified concentration falls within the scope of 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.

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

3OJ C 217, 29.7.2000, p. 32.

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