# C_2010110EN.01000701.xml

| 29.4.2010 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 110/7 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

29.4.2010

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110/7

---

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.5874 — Barclays/Blackstone/Portfolio Hotels)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

2010/C 110/07

| 1. | On 21 April 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 Barclays Bank PLC (‘Barclays’, UK) and Hilton Hotels Corporation (‘Hilton’, UK), which is controlled by the Blackstone Group (‘Blackstone’, USA) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control over a portfolio of 8 European hotels (the Portfolio Hotels), currently jointly controlled by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund VI International-T, L.P. (‘MSRF’, USA) and Hilton, by way of a mixture of share and assets purchase. |
| --- | --- |

1.

On 21 April 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 Barclays Bank PLC (‘Barclays’, UK) and Hilton Hotels Corporation (‘Hilton’, UK), which is controlled by the Blackstone Group (‘Blackstone’, USA) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control over a portfolio of 8 European hotels (the Portfolio Hotels), currently jointly controlled by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund VI International-T, L.P. (‘MSRF’, USA) and Hilton, by way of a mixture of share and assets purchase.

1

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






  — | for Barclays: global financial service provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, |
| --- | --- | --- |

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—

for Barclays: global financial service provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services,

| — | for Blackstone: global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services. |
| --- | --- |

—

for Blackstone: global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services.

| 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. |
| --- | --- |

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.

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 COMP/M.5874 — Barclays/Blackstone/Portfolio Hotels, to the following address:





  European Commission |
| --- | --- |
| 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.5874 — Barclays/Blackstone/Portfolio Hotels, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

J-70

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

---

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

1

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

2

---