# C_2016344EN.01000901.xml

| 20.9.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 344/9 |
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20.9.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 344/9

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.8156 — Clayton Dubilier & Rice/WM Holding/BUT)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2016/C 344/12)

| 1. | On 9 September 2016, 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 Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Fund IX, L.P. and affiliated investment funds, part of the Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Group (‘CD&R’, United States), and WM Holding GmbH (‘WM’, Austria) indirectly acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Décomeubles Partners SAS (‘BUT’, France) by way of purchase of shares. |
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1.

On 9 September 2016, 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 Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Fund IX, L.P. and affiliated investment funds, part of the Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Group (‘CD&R’, United States), and WM Holding GmbH (‘WM’, Austria) indirectly acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Décomeubles Partners SAS (‘BUT’, France) by way of purchase of shares.

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| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
  —   for CD&R: a private equity investment firm which has investments in various sectors of the economy,
  —   for WM: WM is a holding company affiliated with an Austrian individual who is the founder of a trust that indirectly holds a 50 % stake in an undertaking active in the retailing of furniture, decoration and household goods,
  —   for BUT: retailing of furniture, decoration and household goods as well as domestic appliances and consumer electronics primarily in France. |
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2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—   for CD&R: a private equity investment firm which has investments in various sectors of the economy,

for CD&R

—   for WM: WM is a holding company affiliated with an Austrian individual who is the founder of a trust that indirectly holds a 50 % stake in an undertaking active in the retailing of furniture, decoration and household goods,

for WM

—   for BUT: retailing of furniture, decoration and household goods as well as domestic appliances and consumer electronics primarily in France.

for BUT

| 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 this 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 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 this 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 email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference M.8156 — Clayton Dubilier & Rice/WM Holding/BUT, 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 email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference M.8156 — Clayton Dubilier & Rice/WM Holding/BUT, 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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