Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11008 – CDC GROUP / EDF / ENGIE / IN GROUPE / ARCHIPELS) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2023/C 115/07
Date: 2023-03-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: blockchain, data processing, economic concentration, electrical energy, electricity supply, energy production, gas supply, merger control, retail selling, wholesale selling








C_2023115EN.01002301.xml










30.3.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 115/23






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11008 – CDC GROUP / EDF / ENGIE / IN GROUPE / ARCHIPELS)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2023/C 115/07)

1.   
On 21 March 2023, 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:






—


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










—


Électricité de France S.A. (‘EDF’, France),










—


ENGIE S.A. (‘Engie’, France),










—


Imprimerie Nationale S.A. (‘IN’, France),










—


Archipels S.A.S. (‘Archipels’, France).




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


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






—


CDC: a French public institution with special legal status, carrying out activities of general interest and activities open to competition in the environmental, real-estate, investment and capital investment, and services sectors,










—


EDF: an undertaking operating in France and abroad, producing and selling electricity on the wholesale market, transmitting, distributing and supplying electricity, providing other electricity-related services and, to a lesser extent, producing and selling gas on the wholesale and retail markets,










—


Engie: an undertaking operating worldwide in the natural gas, electricity and energy services business,










—


IN: an undertaking operating, in France and abroad, in the physical identification services and secure digital services sector,










—


Archipels: an undertaking operating in France providing blockchain-based anchoring and certification of documents and information related to individuals and companies, and managing files containing information on companies and individuals.






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 no later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11008 – CDC GROUP / EDF / ENGIE / IN GROUPE / ARCHIPELS
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
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.