# C_2015303EN.01000701.xml

| 15.9.2015 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 303/7 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

15.9.2015

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 303/7

---

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.7761 — Permira/OTPP/GFKL Group/Lowell Group)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2015/C 303/05)

| 1. | On 4 September 2015, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which Permira Holdings Limited (‘Permira’, Guernsey), via its subsidiary Garfunkelux SARL, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (‘OTPP’, Canada) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation, joint control of Metis Bidco Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (together the ‘Lowell Group’, UK) and of Garfunkelux Holdco 1 SARL. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (together the ‘GFKL Group’, Germany). |
| --- | --- |

1.

On 4 September 2015, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which Permira Holdings Limited (‘Permira’, Guernsey), via its subsidiary Garfunkelux SARL, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (‘OTPP’, Canada) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation, joint control of Metis Bidco Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (together the ‘Lowell Group’, UK) and of Garfunkelux Holdco 1 SARL. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (together the ‘GFKL Group’, Germany).

1

| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
  —   Permira: a private equity firm active in a variety of sectors that have potential for growth and development, globally,
  —   OTPP: a corporation without share capital responsible for the administration of pension benefits and the investments of pension fund assets on behalf of teachers in Canada,
  —   GFKL Group: a provider of consumer debt recovery services operating in Germany,
  —   Lowell Group: a provider of consumer debt recovery services operating in the UK. |
| --- | --- |

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—   Permira: a private equity firm active in a variety of sectors that have potential for growth and development, globally,

Permira

—   OTPP: a corporation without share capital responsible for the administration of pension benefits and the investments of pension fund assets on behalf of teachers in Canada,

OTPP

—   GFKL Group: a provider of consumer debt recovery services operating in Germany,

GFKL Group

—   Lowell Group: a provider of consumer debt recovery services operating in the UK.

Lowell 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 the 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. |
| --- | --- |

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 the 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.

2

| 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 email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number M.7761 — Permira/OTPP/GFKL Group/Lowell Group, to the following address:





  European Commission |
| --- | --- |
| 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 email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number M.7761 — Permira/OTPP/GFKL Group/Lowell Group, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

---

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

1

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

2

---