Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.6565 — Elior Concessions SA/Áreas Iberoamericana SL — Áreas SA) — Candidate case for simplified procedure  Text with EEA relevance
Date: 2012-05-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: catering, economic concentration, financial management, holding company, investment company, merger control, subsidiary








C_2012139EN.01002701.xml










15.5.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 139/27





Prior notification of a concentration
(Case COMP/M.6565 — Elior Concessions SA/Áreas Iberoamericana SL — Áreas SA)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
2012/C 139/12






1.


On 4 May 2012, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Elior Concessions SA (‘Elior’), France, controlled by Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP (‘Charterhouse’), UK, and Robert Zolade, a French citizen, acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of Áreas Iberoamericana SL, Spain and ultimately of Áreas SA (‘Áreas’), Spain, a 100 % subsidiary of Áreas Iberoamericana SL, previously jointly controlled by Elior and Emesa SL (‘Emesa’), Spain, by way of purchase of shares.










2.


The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


Elior is a subsidiary of Elior SCA, which is a holding company heading the Elior Group. It is mainly active in the food services industry and in particular in contract catering and the provision of contract foodservices in companies, schools, universities, hospitals and retirement homes. To a lesser extent Elior also operates in the area of facility management, travel retail and vending services. Its business activities cover several European countries, as well as Latin America and the United States. Through its sister company Elior Restauration & Services SA it also provides contract catering services in Spain under the brand ‘Serunión’,










—


Charterhouse belongs to a group which provides equity capital and fund management services,










—


Robert Zolade is a French investor,










—


Emesa is a Spanish company providing various services such as real estate, medical services and consulting,










—


Áreas Iberoamericana is the holding company controlling Áreas and has no own market activity,










—


Áreas is the parent company of a group that mainly provides concession foodservices. Its facilities are located in airports, railway stations, highways, expressways, shopping centers and fairgrounds.














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.










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 e-mail to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.6565 — Elior Concessions SA/Áreas Iberoamericana SL — Áreas SA, 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’).

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