Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.5474 — Lagardère/Sumitomo/HFG) — Candidate case for simplified procedure Text with EEA relevance
Date: 2009-02-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: advertising, audiovisual industry, cultural transmission, economic concentration, exchange of information, merger control, press, publishing

C 42/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

20.2.2009

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.5474 — Lagardère/Sumitomo/HFG)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2009/C 42/08)

1.
On 13 February 2009, 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 Lagardère SCA
through its subsidiary Hachette Filippacchi Press (‘HFP’, France) and Sumitomo
(‘Lagardère’, France)
Corporation (‘Sumitomo’, Japan) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation
joint control of the undertaking Hachette FujinGaho (‘HFG’, Japan) by way of purchase of shares. HFG is
currently wholly owned by HFP.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

— for Lagardère: Lagardère is a worldwide media group headquartered in France and listed on the Paris
Stock Exchange. Lagardère is mainly active in the sectors such as book and magazine publishing; radio
and TV broadcasting; film and TV production and distribution; advertising sales brokerage; website
publishing; travel retail; and brokerage and management of sport-related rights,

— for HFP: HFP is a worldwide publisher of consumer magazines. HFP is also engaged in the sale of

advertising space in its own titles and those of third parties,

— for Sumitomo: Sumitomo is the ultimate parent company of the Sumitomo Corporation Group and is
an integrated trading company which provides a comprehensive range of services in Japan and around
the world, including Asia, the United States and Europe,

— for HFG: HFG is currently active in the publishing of female fashion and lifestyle magazines and related
printed and web publications in Japan. HFG will develop additional activities, such as distance selling of
female fashion products.

3.
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the
scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to
the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under 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 the Notice.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed

4.
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 ((32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under
reference number COMP/M.5474 — Lagardère/Sumitomo/HFG, to the following address:

European Commission
Directorate-General for Competition
Merger Registry
J-70
B-1049 Brussels

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32.