CELEX: 32013M7079
Language: en
Date: 2013-12-19 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 19/12/2013 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7079 - BULGARIA AIRWAYS GROUP / SWISSPORT INTERNATIONAL / SWISSPORT BULGARIA) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |
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                                        Brussels, 19.12.2013
                                        C(2013) 9769 final

                                        |                                                                   |To the notifying party:                                            |

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

Subject:    Case No COMP/M.7079 - BULGARIA AIRWAYS GROUP/ SWISSPORT INTERNATIONAL/ SWISSPORT BULGARIA
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1]

 1. On 18.11.2013, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the  Merger  Regulation  by
    which Bulgarian Airways Group EAD ("BAG", Bulgaria) and Swissport International AG ("Swissport", Switzerland) acquire within the  meaning  of
    Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Swissport Bulgaria AD ("Swissport  Bulgaria",  Bulgaria)  by  way  of  purchase  of
    shares.

    2.      The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

    - BAG's core business consists of international and domestic air transport of passengers and cargo as well as related activities. It controls
         the airline Bulgaria Air AD. BAG is ultimately controlled by the Chim Invest Institute.

    - Swissport is a provider of airport ground handling, cargo handling and related services to airlines. Swissport is owned and  controlled  by
         PAI partners SAS.

    - Swissport Bulgaria is a provider of ground handling, cargo handling, and related services to  airlines  at  the  Letishte  Sofia-Vrazhdebna
         airport in Sofia[2].

 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(a) 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
                                                             -----------------------
[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 343, 23.11.2013, p.20.

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

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE