# C_2015074EN.01001001.xml

| 3.3.2015 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 74/10 |
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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.7476 — Holtzbrinck Publishing Group/Springer Science+Business Media GP Acquisition SCA/JV)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2015/C 74/09)

| 1. | On 24 February 2015, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004( 1 ) by which the undertakings Holtzbrinck Publishing Group (‘HPG’, Germany), controlled by Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co. KG (‘Holtzbrinck’, Germany), and Springer Science+Business Media G.P. Acquisition SCA (‘SSBM SCA’, The Netherlands), controlled by BC Partners Holdings Limited (UK), acquire joint control within the meaning of Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation of a newly created joint venture (the ‘Joint Venture’) by way of purchase of shares. |
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| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
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HPG is an international media company active in trade publishing, education and science, newspaper and magazines, as well as electronic media and services. HPG offers publishing services under three operational divisions ‘Macmillan Science and Education’ (science and education), Macmillan Publishers (fiction and non-fiction) and ‘Holtzbrink Digital, Information & Services’ (internet companies, news media and services), —
SSBM SCA is the parent company of SSBM Group, active mainly in the publishing of academic journals and books, primarily in the science, technology and medical fields, and with some operations in the area of online databases and workflow tools and local language professional publishing, amongst other, in Germany and the Netherlands, —
The Joint Venture will combine all activities of SSBM SCA and most of the activities of HPG’s business unit ‘Macmillan Science and Education’. It will be primarily active in academic publishing. | — | HPG is an international media company active in trade publishing, education and science, newspaper and magazines, as well as electronic media and services. HPG offers publishing services under three operational divisions ‘Macmillan Science and Education’ (science and education), Macmillan Publishers (fiction and non-fiction) and ‘Holtzbrink Digital, Information & Services’ (internet companies, news media and services), | — | SSBM SCA is the parent company of SSBM Group, active mainly in the publishing of academic journals and books, primarily in the science, technology and medical fields, and with some operations in the area of online databases and workflow tools and local language professional publishing, amongst other, in Germany and the Netherlands, | — | The Joint Venture will combine all activities of SSBM SCA and most of the activities of HPG’s business unit ‘Macmillan Science and Education’. It will be primarily active in academic publishing. |
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| — | HPG is an international media company active in trade publishing, education and science, newspaper and magazines, as well as electronic media and services. HPG offers publishing services under three operational divisions ‘Macmillan Science and Education’ (science and education), Macmillan Publishers (fiction and non-fiction) and ‘Holtzbrink Digital, Information & Services’ (internet companies, news media and services), | | | | | | |
| — | SSBM SCA is the parent company of SSBM Group, active mainly in the publishing of academic journals and books, primarily in the science, technology and medical fields, and with some operations in the area of online databases and workflow tools and local language professional publishing, amongst other, in Germany and the Netherlands, | | | | | | |
| — | The Joint Venture will combine all activities of SSBM SCA and most of the activities of HPG’s business unit ‘Macmillan Science and Education’. It will be primarily active in academic publishing. | | | | | | |

| 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. |
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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 email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number M.7476 — HPG/SSBM SCA/JV, to the following address:
European Commission Directorate-General for Competition Merger Registry 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel BELGIQUE/BELGIË | European Commission | Directorate-General for Competition | Merger Registry | 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel | BELGIQUE/BELGIË |
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| 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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