Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.6899 — Lion Capital/Avedon Capital Partners/Ad van Geloven Holding) — Candidate case for simplified procedure  Text with EEA relevance
Date: 2013-05-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, investment company, merger control, sports equipment








C_2013130EN.01001101.xml










7.5.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 130/11





Prior notification of a concentration
(Case COMP/M.6899 — Lion Capital/Avedon Capital Partners/Ad van Geloven Holding)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
2013/C 130/08






1.


On 29 April 2013, 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 Lion Capital LLP (United Kingdom) and Avedon Capital Partners B.V. (Netherlands) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the undertaking Ad van Geloven Holding B.V. (Netherlands) by way of Avedon Capital Partners B.V.’s acquisition of shares.










2.


The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


Lion Capital LLP is a private equity company focusing on investments in businesses active in the production and sale of consumer-branded goods. It holds controlling interests in a number of companies including A.S. Adventures, active in the sale of outdoor equipment and clothing in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK, and in Findus and Picard, active in the sale of frozen and chilled food products. Lion Capital also already holds a controlling interest in Ad van Geloven Holding B.V.,










—


Avedon Capital Partners B.V. is a private equity investor with controlling interests in a number of companies including Euretco which is active among other things in the sale of sporting goods in the Netherlands,










—


Ad van Geloven Holding B.V. is active in the production and sale of mainly frozen snacks, both branded and private label, for the retail and out-of-home channels mainly in the Netherlands.














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 email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.6899 — Lion Capital/Avedon Capital Partners/Ad van Geloven Holding, to the following address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




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’).