CELEX: 32022M10639
Language: en
Date: 2022-03-18 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 18/03/2022 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.10639 - MAX MARA / MITSUI / MCJ) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                                                                 Brussels, 18.03.2022
                                                                 C(2022) 1829 final
                                                                                 PUBLIC VERSION
                                                                 MMFG
                                                                 4, Giulia Maramotti
                                                                 42124 Reggio Emilia
                                                                 Italy
                                                                 Mitsui
                                                                 2-1 Otemachi 1-chome
                                                                 Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
                                                                 Japan
Subject:        Case M.10639 – MAX MARA / MITSUI / MCJ
                Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation
                (EC) No 139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European
                                    2
                Economic Area
Dear Sir or Madam,
1.      On 22 February 2022, the European Commission received notification of a proposed
        concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which Mitsui & Co.
        Ltd. (‘Mitsui’, Japan) will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) in
        conjunction with Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the whole of
        Max & Co. Japan Co. Ltd. (‘MCJ’, Japan), controlled by Max Mara Group (Italy).
        The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares. 3
2.      The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
             Mitsui is a trading, business management and project development company,
              headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Mitsui operates worldwide and is active in
              various sectors, including in the production, distribution and retail activities of
              apparel,
             Max Mara Group is an Italian group of companies in cluding Max Mara Fashion
              Group (‘MMFG’, Italy) and International Fashion Trading S.a.r.l. (‘IFT’,
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 102, 2.3.2022, p. 10.
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---         Luxembourg) that manufactures and sells prét-a-porter apparel and accessories at
        worldwide level. The group owns several brands including Max Mara, Max &
        Co., Sportmax, Weekend Max Mara, Pennyblack, Marina Rinaldi, Persona,
        Marella, Emme Marella, iBlues and Intrend,
       Max & Co. Japan (MCJ) is a Japanese subsidiary of MMFG, active in the retail
        sale of Max & Co and Marina Rinaldi branded products in Japan. MCJ will be
        absorbed by Max Mara Japan which is a joint venture company between Mitsui,
        IFT and MMFG active in the retail sale of Max Mara and Weekend Max Mara
        branded products in Japan.
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(a) 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.
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