Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11694 – ASTERION / F2i / 2i AEROPORTI) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2024-09-02
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Campania, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, Piedmont, airport, economic concentration, holding company, investment company, merger control, provision of services








C_202405379EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/5379


2.9.2024






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11694 – ASTERION / F2i / 2i AEROPORTI)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2024/5379)


1.   
On 23 August 2024, 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:






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Asterion Industrial Partners SGEIC, S.A. (‘Asterion’, Spain), through the investment vehicle MERCURIO MIDCO, S.L.U. (‘Mercurio’, Spain)










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F2i - Fondi Italiani per le Infrastrutture Società di Gestione del Risparmio S.p.A., in the name and on behalf of the fund F2i-Terzo Fondo per le Infrastrutture (‘F2i’, Italy),










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2i Aeroporti S.p.A. (‘2i Aeroporti’, Italy), currently jointly controlled by F2i and ARDIAN (France).




Asterion and F2i will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of 2i Aeroporti S.p.A.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


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






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Asterion is an independent investment management firm focused on infrastructure in the European mid-market.










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F2i is an independent infrastructure fund manager focused mainly on Italian infrastructures.










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2i Aeroporti is a holding company engaged in the airport management sector in Italy. It has controlling majority stakes in: (i) Società Azionaria Gestione Aeroporto Torino S.p.A., the operator of the Turin airport; (ii) Società Gestione Servizi Aeroporti Campani S.p.A., the operator of the Naples and Salerno airports; (iii) Aeroporto Friuli Venezia Giulia S.p.A., the operator of the Trieste airport.






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 treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (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.11694 – ASTERION / F2i / 2i AEROPORTI
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 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5379/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)