CELEX: 32014M7445
Language: en
Date: 2014-12-11 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 11/12/2014 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7445 - 3i GROUP / CHRIST JUWELIERE UND UHRMACHER SEIT 1863) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |

                                             Brussels, 11.12.2014
                                             C(2014) 9781 final

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|To the notifying party:                                                |                                                                       |

Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

Subject:    Case M.7445 - 3i GROUP/ CHRIST JUWELIERE UND UHRMACHER SEIT 1863
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1] and Article 57 of the Agreement on the
         European Economic Area[2]

 1. On 12 November 2014 the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation
    by which the undertaking 3i Group plc (United Kingdom) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation   control  of
    the whole of       the undertaking Diamond Holding GmbH (Germany), the holding company of Christ Juweliere  und  Uhrmacher  seit  1863  GmbH
    (Germany), by way of purchase of shares.[3]

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

    - for 3i Group plc: making investments as well as managing investments on behalf of, and providing management  advice  to  investment  funds
           concerning private equity, infrastructure and debt management. 3i indirectly controls Amor, which is primarily active as a wholesaler
           of jewellery in Germany;

    - for Diamond Holding GmbH: holding company of Christ Juweliere und Uhrmacher seit 1863 GmbH ("Christ");

    - for Christ: jewellery and watches retailer active mainly in Germany.

 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 6 of the Commission Notice on a simplified  procedure  for  treatment  of  certain  concentrations  under
    Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.[4]

 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)
                                        Alexander ITALIANER
                                        Director-General

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[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 412, 19/11/2014, p. 3.

[4]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE