CELEX: 32021M10281
Language: en
Date: 2021-06-10 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 10/06/2021 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.10281 - ASTORG / COBEPA / CORSEARCH) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                                                                Brussels, 10.06.2021
                                                                C(2021) 4309 final
                                                                                PUBLIC VERSION
                                                                Astorg Asset Management S.a.r.l.
                                                                Rue Albert Borschette 2
                                                                L-1246 Luxembourg
                                                                Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
                                                                Cobepa SA
                                                                Rue de la Chancellerie 2, box 1
                                                                1000 Brussels
                                                                Belgium
Subject:        Case M.10281 — Astorg / Cobepa / Corsearch
                Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation
                                       1
                (EC) No 139/2004 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European
                                    2
                Economic Area
Dear Sir or Madam,
1.      On 17 May 2021, the European Commission received notification of a proposed
        concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which Astorg Asset
        Management S.a.r.l. (“Astorg”, Luxembourg) and Cobepa SA (“Cobepa”, Belgium)
        acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint
        control over the whole of the undertaking Corsearch US Holdings, Inc. (“Corsearch”,
        USA) by way of purchase of shares.3
2.      The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
             for Astorg: investments in and acquisitions of global companies in partnership
              with entrepreneurial management with the view to create value through the
              provision of strategic guidance, experienced governance and adequate capital,
             for Cobepa: investments in and buy-out acquisitions of growth companies mainly
              in Europe and North America,
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 201, 28.05.2021, p. 11.
Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel, BELGIË
Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu.
 ---pagebreak---        for Corsearch: the provision of data, analytics, and services that support brands to
        market their assets and reduce commercial risks as well as trademark clearances
        support and brand protection.
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 139/2004.4
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)
                                                   Olivier GUERSENT
                                                   Director-General
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.
                                               2