# C_2015117EN.01000601.xml

| 11.4.2015 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 117/6 |
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11.4.2015

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 117/6

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.7599 — Apollo Management/Walz Group)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2015/C 117/06)

| 1. | On 1 April 2015, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Management L.P. (‘Apollo’, US) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation, sole control over Versandhaus Walz GmbH, Baby-Walz, Die moderne Hausfrau (‘Walz Group’, Germany), by way of purchase of shares. |
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1.

On 1 April 2015, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Management L.P. (‘Apollo’, US) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation, sole control over Versandhaus Walz GmbH, Baby-Walz, Die moderne Hausfrau (‘Walz Group’, Germany), by way of purchase of shares.

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| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
  —   for Apollo: investment funds involved in various businesses throughout the world, such as chemical, real estate, insurance, paper, television production,
  —   for the Walz Group: mail order, internet and brick-and-mortar retail for baby care products, games and toys and other consumer goods. |
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2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—   for Apollo: investment funds involved in various businesses throughout the world, such as chemical, real estate, insurance, paper, television production,

for Apollo

—   for the Walz Group: mail order, internet and brick-and-mortar retail for baby care products, games and toys and other consumer goods.

for the Walz Group

| 3. | On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice. |
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3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

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| 4. | The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
  Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by e-mail to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number M.7599 — Apollo Management/Walz Group, to the following address:





  European Commission |
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| Directorate-General for Competition |
| Merger Registry |
| 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel |
| BELGIQUE/BELGIË |

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by e-mail to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number M.7599 — Apollo Management/Walz Group, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

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(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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