CELEX: 32017M8582
Language: en
Date: 2017-08-10 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 10/08/2017 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.8582 - LETTERONE / HOLLAND & BARRETT) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                     
                  
               
               Brussels, 10.8.2017 
            
            
               C(2017) 5702 final
               
            
            
            
            
               To the notifying party:
            
            
               Subject:Case M.8582 - LETTERONE / HOLLAND & BARRETT 
                  Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004
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                and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area
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               Dear Sir or Madam,
            
            
               1.On 18 July 2017, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which the undertaking L1R HB Limited (Jersey), wholly owned by Letterone Investment Holdings S.A. ("Letterone Investment", Luxembourg), acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Holland & Barrett International Limited ("Holland & Barrett", the UK) by way of a purchase of shares.
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               2.The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
            
            
               -for Letterone Investment: international investment targeting investments in the telecoms and technology, healthcare and retail sectors,
            
            
               -for Holland & Barrett: retail of health and wellbeing products, such as, for example, vitamin supplements and health foods through its network of high street shops and online.
            
            
               3.After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of paragraph 5(b) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.
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               4.For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement.
            
            
               For the Commission
            
            
               (Signed)
               
                  Johannes LAITENBERGER
                  Director-General
            
            
         
         
            
                  
                     (1)
                  
                  
                        OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the 'Merger Regulation'). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ('TFEU') has introduced certain changes, such as the replacement of 'Community' by 'Union' and 'common market' by 'internal market'. The terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.
                  
               
               
                  
                     (2)
                   
                        OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the 'EEA Agreement').
               
               
                  
                     (3)
                   
                        Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 242, 27.7.2017, p. 18.
               
               
                  
                     (4)
                  
                  
                      
                           OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.