CELEX: 32014M7113
Language: en
Date: 2014-01-15 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 15/01/2014 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7113 - PPF GROUP / TELEFONICA CZECH REPUBLIC / TELEFONICA SLOVAKIA) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

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                                        Brussels, 15.1.2014
                                        C(2014) 259 final

                                        To the notifying party

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

Subject:    Case No COMP/M.7113 - PPF GROUP / TELEFONICA CZECH REPUBLIC / TELEFONICA SLOVAKIA
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1]

 1. On 9 December 2013, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger  Regulation
    by which the undertaking PPF Group N.V. ("PPF", the Netherlands) acquires within the meaning of Article  3(1)(b)  of  the  Merger  Regulation
    control of the undertaking Telefónica Czech Republic a.s. ("Telefónica  CZ",  Czech  Republic)  and  its  fully-owned  subsidiary  Telefónica
    Slovakia s.r.o ("Telefónica SK'', Slovakia), by way of purchase of shares.[2]

    The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

    - for PPF:  finance and investment group active in the sectors of banking and investments,  consultancy,  real  estate,  energy,  mining  and
    retail of consumer electronics with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe and Asia;

    - for Telefónica CZ: fixed and mobile telecommunication and related services in the Czech Republic;

    - for Telefónica SK: mobile telecommunication and related services in Slovakia.

 2. 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[3].

 3. 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.

                                        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]   Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 368, 17/12/2013, p.18

[3]   OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32.

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                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE

                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION