# C_2010357EN.01002801.xml

| 30.12.2010 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 357/28 |
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30.12.2010

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 357/28

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.6041 — PAI/Gecos/Nuance)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

2010/C 357/07

| 1. | On 20 December 2010, 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 PAI Partners SAS (‘PAI’, France) and Gecos — Generale di Commercio e Servizi SpA (‘Gecos’, Italy), the parent company of PAM Group, acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the undertaking The Nuance Group AG (‘Nuance’, Switzerland) by way of purchase of shares. |
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1.

On 20 December 2010, 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 PAI Partners SAS (‘PAI’, France) and Gecos — Generale di Commercio e Servizi SpA (‘Gecos’, Italy), the parent company of PAM Group, acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the undertaking The Nuance Group AG (‘Nuance’, Switzerland) by way of purchase of shares.

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| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






  — | for undertaking PAI: private equity company which manages and advises dedicated private equity funds, |
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2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

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for undertaking PAI: private equity company which manages and advises dedicated private equity funds,

| — | for undertaking Gecos: parent company of PAM Group, mainly active in large-scale food and non-food retailing sector, |
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for undertaking Gecos: parent company of PAM Group, mainly active in large-scale food and non-food retailing sector,

| — | for undertaking Nuance: active in the travel retail industry. |
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for undertaking Nuance: active in the travel retail industry.

| 3. | On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the EC 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 EC Merger Regulation (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 EC 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 EC Merger Regulation (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 email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.6041 — PAI/Gecos/Nuance, to the following address:





  European Commission |
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| Directorate-General for Competition |
| Merger Registry |
| J-70 |
| 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 COMP/M.6041 — PAI/Gecos/Nuance, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

J-70

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

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

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(2)  OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32 (‘Notice on a simplified procedure’).

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