Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE  
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERG ER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel,  BELGIË 
 Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu . 
  EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Brussels, 6.7.2018 
C(2018) 4452 final 
 
 
To the notifying parties  
Subject: Case M.8973 – MITSUI / KANSAI / JV 
Commission decision pursuant to Articl e 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) 
No 139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreemen t on the European Economic Area2  
Dear Sir or Madam, 
1. On 14 June 2018, the European Commission received notifica tion of a proposed 
concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by wh ich the undertakings 
Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Japan, "Mitsui") and Kans ai Paint Co., Ltd. (Japan, "Kansai") acquire 
within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4)  of the Merger Regulation joint control over 
the whole of the undertaking Kansai Helios Coat ings GmbH (Austria, the "JV"), currently 
solely controlled by Kansai, by way of purchase of shares.3 
2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are: 
− Mitsui is a Japanese tradi ng house engaged in a number of  world-wide commodity and 
other businesses, including the sale, distri bution, purchase, marketing and supply of 
products in business areas such as iron and steel, coal and non-ferrous metals, machinery, electronics, chemicals,  and energy related commodities; 
− Kansai is a Japanese based chemical comp any whose main products are industrial and 
decorative coatings. The company operat es under the ALESCO corporate brand; 
− The JV controls the Helios Group, a Eur opean coatings manufacturer. Helios Group 
focuses on industrial applications, but has al so some activities in decorative and other 
types of coatings as well as resins , chemicals, adhesives and starches. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the 'Mer ger Regulation'). With effect from  1 December 2009, the Treaty on the 
Functioning of the European Union ('TFEU') has intr oduced certain changes, su ch as the replacement of 
'Community' by 'Union' and 'common market' by 'interna l market'. The terminology of the TFEU will be used 
throughout this decision.  
2  OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the 'EEA Agreement'). 
3  Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 217 , 21.6.2018, p. 29. 
PUBLIC VERSION 
 
2 3. After examination of the notification, the Eu ropean Commission ha s concluded that the 
notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of  paragraph 5(c) of 
the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.
4 
4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simp lified procedure, the European Commission 
has decided not to oppose the notified operati on and to declare it compatible with the 
internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of 
Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulati on and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement. 
For the Commission 
 (Signed) Johannes LAITENBERGER Director-General 
                                                 
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.