Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12219 – ECI / FAST GROUP) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2026-01-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Czechia, Slovakia, consumer goods, economic concentration, electronic commerce, electronics, holding company, merger control, retail trade, wholesale trade








C_202600228EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2026/228


12.1.2026






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.12219 – ECI / FAST GROUP)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2026/228)


1.   
On 5 January 2026, 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:






—


EC Investments a.s. (‘ECI’), Czech Republic, ultimately controlled by Mr Daniel Křetínský (‘DK’),










—


FAST ČR, a.s. (‘Fast Group’), controlled by CE Electronics Holding a.s., which is in turn currently jointly controlled by ECI and BONAK a.s. (‘BONAK’), all from the Czech Republic.




ECI will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of Fast Group.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


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






—


ECI is an investment holding company with no business activities of its own, and is the entity through which DK primarily seeks, carries out and manages investment activities mainly focused on the e-commerce sector and the wholesale and retail of electronics and other non-food products,










—


Fast Group is a wholesaler of consumer electronics and other non-food products primarily in the Central and Eastern European region and retail of electronics and other non-food products in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.






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.12219 – ECI / FAST GROUP
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/2026/228/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)