Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11792 – APHEON / LFPI / ECH) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2024-11-08
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: France, beverage, condiment, consumer goods, economic concentration, foodstuff, investment company, merger control, preserved product, tobacco, wholesale trade








C_202406794EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/6794


8.11.2024






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11792 – APHEON / LFPI / ECH)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2024/6794)


1.   
On 24 October 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:






—


Apheon Management S.A. (‘Apheon’, Luxembourg),










—


LFPI Gestion S.A.S (France), controlled by La Financière Patrimoniale d’Investissement S.A.S. (‘LFPI’, France),










—


ECH SAS (‘ECH’, France), controller of the following legal entities: Haudecoeur S.A.S, Coexo Centrale S.A.S, Coexo Laures S.A.S, Financière Spigol S.A.S, Centrale Epices Assaisonnement Condiment S.A.S and Flavori International S.R.L.




Apheon and LFPI will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of ECH.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of securities.


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






—


Apheon is a private equity firm with a focus on European markets. It invests in mid-market companies across the following core sectors: Healthcare, Niche industrials, Consumer goods, Services and Media,










—


LFPI is an investment group active in small & midcap private equity, private debt, real estate, asset management and private banking, with a focus on the French and European markets.






3.   

ECH is active in the French wholesale market for consumer goods (mainly ethnic food products such as spices, dry food, preserved food).



4.   
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.


5.   
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.11792 – APHEON / LFPI / ECH
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/2024/6794/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)