Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10387 – MERIDIAM / ALLIANZ / NEUCONNECT) (Text with EEA relevance) 2021/C 476/09
Date: 2021-11-26
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Germany, Lower Saxony, South East (England), economic concentration, energy grid, financial services, investment company, long-term financing, merger control, provision of services








C_2021476EN.01001201.xml










26.11.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 476/12






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10387 – MERIDIAM / ALLIANZ / NEUCONNECT)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2021/C 476/09)

1.   
On 17 November 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:






—


Meridiam Investment 3 SAS (‘Meridiam’) (France), controlled by Meridiam SAS (France)










—


Allianz Leben Infrastrukturfonds GmbH, APKV Infrastrukturfonds GmbH and AZ-SGD Infrastrukturfonds GmbH (‘the Allianz investors’) (Germany), belonging to the Allianz Group (Germany),










—


NeuConnect Britain Limited (‘Newconnect’) (the United Kingdom).




Meridiam and the Allianz investors acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Neuconnect.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


for Meridiam: a global investor and asset manager specializing in long-term investments in public and community infrastructure. Meridiam develops, finances, builds, operates and maintains various types of projects, in particular transport infrastructure, social infrastructure, public buildings as well as utility networks and services,










—


for the Allianz Group: a global financial services provider with services predominantly in the insurance and asset management business.










—


for Neuconnect: the development and operation of a subsea and underground high voltage direct current electricity link between the Isle of Grain in the south east of England, and Wilhelmshaven in northern Germany.






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.10387 – MERIDIAM / ALLIANZ / NEUCONNECT
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’).