Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE  
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel,  BELGIË 
 
Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu . 
 
  EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Brussels, 15.03.2021 
C(2021) 1869 final 
PUBLIC VERSION 
Cordes & Graefe KG 
Altenwall 6  
28195 Bremen 
Germany 
Subject: Case M.9970 – CORDES & GRAEFE / FACQ 
Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation 
(EC) No 139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European 
Economic Area2  
Dear Sir or Madam, 
1. On 18 February 2021, the European Commission received notification of a proposed 
concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which Cordes & 
Graefe KG (‘Cordes & Graefe’, Germany)  intends to acquire within the meaning of 
Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control over the FACQ Group (‘FACQ’, 
Belgium). FACQ includes: 
(a) FACQ SA; 
(b) Immobilière les blés d’or SA; 
(c) Immobilière Weideveld SA; and 
(d) Renoma SRL. 
2. The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.3 
3. By decision of 17 February 2021, the Commission referred the proposed concentration 
in part to the Belgian Competition Authority pursuant to Article 4(4) of the Merger 
Regulation. This decision therefore relates to the effects of the proposed concentration 
in the Member States other than Belgium, in particular in Germany and Luxembourg. 
                                                
1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on 
the Functioning of the European Union (the ‘TFEU’) has introduced certain changes, such as the 
replacement of ‘Community’ by ‘Union’ and ‘common market’ by ‘internal 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 71, 1.3.2021, p. 62. 

 
2 4. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are: 
 for Cordes & Graefe: wholesale and retail supply of sanitary, plumbing, 
ventilation, heating and air conditioning products, electrical equipment, roofing, 
excavation and industrial technologies, mainly to professional customers; and 
 for FACQ: retail supply of sanitary, plumbing, ventilation, heating and air 
conditioning products to professional and non-professional customers. 
5. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that 
the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of 
paragraph 6  of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of 
certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.4 
6. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European 
Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation 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 Regulation and Article 57 of 
the EEA Agreement. 
For the Commission 
 
 
(Signed) 
Olivier GUERSENT 
Director-General 
 
                                                
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.