Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10956 – AURELIUS INVESTMENT LUX SEVEN / SAPPI FINLAND ONE / SAPPI FINLAND OPERATIONS / SAPPI MAASTRICHT REAL ESTATE / SAPPI STOCKSTADT) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2022/C 437/06
Date: 2022-11-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, investment company, merger control, pulp and paper industry








C_2022437EN.01000701.xml










17.11.2022   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 437/7






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10956 – AURELIUS INVESTMENT LUX SEVEN / SAPPI FINLAND ONE / SAPPI FINLAND OPERATIONS / SAPPI MAASTRICHT REAL ESTATE / SAPPI STOCKSTADT)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2022/C 437/06)

1.   
On 9 November 2022, 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:






—


AURELIUS Investment Lux Seven S.à.r.l. (Luxembourg), belonging to the Aurelius group (‘Aurelius’, Germany),










—


Sappi Finland I Oy (Finland), belonging to the Sappi group,










—


Sappi Finland Operations Oy (Finland), belonging to the Sappi group,










—


Sappi Maastricht Real Estate B.V. (The Netherlands), belonging to the Sappi group,










—


Sappi Stockstadt GmbH (Germany), belonging to the Sappi group.




Aurelius will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of Sappi Finland I, Sappi Finland Operations, Sappi Maastricht Real Estate and Sappi Stockstadt (together referred to as the ‘Sappi target entities’).
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


the Aurelius group is a private equity group, which is active as an investor in Europe and as an asset manager internationally,










—


the Sappi target entities are active in the manufacture and supply of publication and graphic paper including coated mechanical, coated and uncoated woodfree paper as well as speciality board including folding box board and solid bleached board.






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.
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 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. The following reference should always be specified:
M.10956 – AURELIUS INVESTMENT LUX SEVEN / SAPPI FINLAND ONE / SAPPI FINLAND OPERATIONS / SAPPI MAASTRICHT REAL ESTATE / SAPPI STOCKSTADT
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’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.