Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10205 — Orange/CDC/EDF/OC) (Text with EEA relevance) 2021/C 301/06
Date: 2021-07-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, electrical energy, energy production, information technology, merger control, natural gas, retail trade, services of general interest, telecommunications, wholesale trade








C_2021301EN.01000701.xml










28.7.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 301/7






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10205 — Orange/CDC/EDF/OC)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2021/C 301/06)

1.   
On 20 July 2021, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 and following a referral pursuant to Article 4(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. (1)

This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Orange S.A. (‘Orange’, France),










—


Caisse des Dépôts et des Consignations SAS (‘CDC’, France),










—


EDF S.A. (‘EDF’, France),










—


Orange Concessions SAS (‘OC’, France) solely controlled by Orange.




Orange, CDC and EDF acquire, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation, joint control of the whole of OC.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






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Orange: electronic communications, content, cybersecurity and mobile financial services company. Orange is active in fixed telecommunications in both the wholesale and retail markets as well as in the deployment and operation of high-speed telecommunication networks in France,










—


CDC: special body (établissement spécial) governed by French law responsible for tasks of general interest (deposits on savings accounts that finance rented social housing and urban renewal, regulated deposits and consignments, Social Security pensions and funds) and activities open to competition in the environmental, services and investment and private equity sectors.










—


EDF: company active in the production and wholesale of electricity, the trading, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity, the wholesale and retail of gas and the supply of energy services in France and abroad,










—


OC: company active in the design, deployment and operation, in low density areas, of public initiative high-speed telecommunications networks in France and marketing of internet access services exclusively on wholesale markets.






3.   

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.



4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit any observations they may have on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission no later than ten days following the date on which this notification is published. The following reference should always be specified:
M.10205 — Orange/CDC/EDF/OC
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Fax +32 22964301
Postal 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’).