CELEX: 32016M8168
Language: en
Date: 2016-08-31 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 31/08/2016 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.8168 - STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL / POUNDLAND) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |

                                        Brussels, 31.08.2016
                                        C(2016) 5677final

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                                       To the Notifying Party

Dear Sirs,

Subject:    Case M.8168 – STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL / POUNDLAND
         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 5 August 2016, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the  Merger  Regulation
    by which the undertaking Steinhoff International Holdings N.V. part of the Steinhoff group ("Steinhoff", South Africa) acquires  within  the
    meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole  of  the  undertaking  Poundland  Group  plc  ("Poundland",  United
    Kingdom) by way of  purchase of shares.[3]

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

  – for Steinhoff: manufacture and wholesale sale of furniture and retail sale primarily of furniture,  home  decoration  and  household  goods,
    electrical appliances and electronic consumer goods and clothing,

  – for Poundland: retail sale of a wide range of food and non-food consumer products in the UK, Ireland and Spain.

 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 paragraphs 5(c) and 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)

                                        Johannes LAITENBERGER
                                        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 292, 12.8.2016, p. 5.
[4]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE