Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12059 – PANDOX / SCANDIC / DALATA) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2025-09-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Ireland, Northern Europe, United Kingdom, economic concentration, hotel industry, merger control, real estate business








C_202505115EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/5115


19.9.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.12059 – PANDOX / SCANDIC / DALATA)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/5115)


1.   
On 11 September 2025, 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:






—


Pandox AB (‘Pandox’, Sweden),










—


Scandic Hotels Holding AB (‘Scandic’, Sweden) controlled by Scandic Hotels Group AB (Sweden),










—


Dalata Hotel Group plc. (‘Dalata’, Ireland).




Pandox and Scandic will acquire joint control of Dalata’s Operating Business and Pandox will acquire sole control of Dalata’s Property Business within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation.
The concentration is accomplished by way of public bid announced on 15 July 2025 and by way of contract.


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






—


Pandox is a hotel property company present mainly in Northern Europe,










—


Scandic is a hotel operator active predominantly in the Nordics,










—


Dalata is a hotel owner and operator mainly active in the UK and Ireland. Dalata’s Property Business comprises the owned and freehold or long leasehold properties of Dalata. The Operating Business comprises the assets and employees to run the hotel operation business of Dalata.






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 concentration 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.12059 – PANDOX / SCANDIC / DALATA
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/2025/5115/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)