Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.8542 — The Carlyle Group/CVC/China Investment Corporation/ENGIE E&amp;P International) — Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance. )
Date: 2017-10-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, gas industry, investment company, merger control, oil industry








C_2017341EN.01000601.xml










12.10.2017   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 341/6





Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.8542 — The Carlyle Group/CVC/China Investment Corporation/ENGIE E&P International)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2017/C 341/07)






1.


On 2 October 2017, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).










2.


This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


The Carlyle Group (‘Carlyle’, United States),










—


CVC Capital Partners SICAV-FIS SA (‘CVC’, Luxembourg),










—


China Investment Corporation (‘CIC’, China),










—


ENGIE E&P International SA (‘ENGIE E&P’, France), currently controlled by ENGIE SA














3.


Carlyle, CVC and CIC acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the undertaking ENGIE E&P International SA (‘ENGIE E&P’, France) by way of a purchase of shares.










4.


The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


Carlyle is a global alternative asset manager that manages funds that invest globally across four investment disciplines: (i) corporate private equity; (ii) real assets; (iii) global market strategies; and (iv) investment solutions.










—


The CVC Group is composed of privately owned entities whose activities include providing investment advice to and/or managing investments on behalf of certain investment funds and platforms (CVC Funds). CVC Funds hold interests in a number of companies in various industries including chemicals, utilities, manufacturing, retailing and distribution, primarily in Europe, the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.










—


CIC is a state-owned company established as a vehicle to diversify China’s foreign exchange holdings. Through its subsidiaries, it carries out overseas investment activities and holds equity interests in major state-owned financial enterprises in China.










—


ENGIE E&P is active in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, including the storage, processing, exploitation, transportation, distribution and sale of oil and natural gas, as well as in the execution of related services, such as mining services related to drilling, work-overs and oil fields.














5.


On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the 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 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 this Notice.










6.


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 M.8542 — The Carlyle Group/CVC/China Investment Corporation/ENGIE E&P International, 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 ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.