Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10364 – ECI/Bonak/Fast Group) (Text with EEA relevance) 2021/C 405/05
Date: 2021-10-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: banking, economic concentration, electronic commerce, electronics industry, financial services, household electrical appliance, investment company, merger control, telecommunications, wholesale trade








C_2021405EN.01000501.xml










7.10.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 405/5






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10364 – ECI/Bonak/Fast Group)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2021/C 405/05)

1.   
On 27 September 2021, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


EC Investments a.s. (‘ECI’, Czech Republic), solely controlled by the EP Corporate Group, a.s. (‘EPCG’, Czech Republic);










—


Bonak a.s. (‘Bonak’, Czech Republic), solely controlled by the PPF Group N.V. (‘PPF Group’, the Netherlands); and










—


Various companies forming, together, the Fast Group (the ‘Fast Group’, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland).




ECI and Bonak acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the Fast Group.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


for ECI: investments in companies active primarily in the e-commerce sector. In particular, ECI belongs to EPGC, which is active in the e-commerce and wholesale sectors, including via the Metro Group, a specialist food and non-food wholesaler active across the EU. Additionally, ECI jointly controls – together with Bonak – the Mall Group, which is primarily an e-commerce retailer in Central and Eastern Europe;










—


for Bonak: the undertaking is an operating company belonging to the PPF Group, which is an international investment group focusing primarily on financial services and banking, telecommunications, mechanical engineering, biotechnologies, insurance, real estate, agriculture and e-commerce. In particular, the PPF Group is active in the e-commerce retail sector in Central and Eastern Europe through the Mall Group and controls – among others – the mobile operators O2 and Telenor; and










—


for the Fast Group: wholesale and retail of consumer electronics, household appliances and IT and telecommunication products, as well as other non-food products, primarily active in Central and Eastern Europe.






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 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. The following reference should always be specified:
M.10364 – ECI/Bonak/Fast Group
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’).