CELEX: 32015M7521
Language: en
Date: 2015-03-25 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 25/03/2015 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7521 - STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS / PEPKOR HOLDINGS) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |

                                        Brussels, 25.3.2015
                                        C(2015) 2202 final

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|                                                                       |To the notifying party:                                                |
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Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

Subject:    Case M.7521 – STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS/ PEPKOR HOLDINGS
         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 26 February 2015, the European Commission received notification of  a  proposed  concentration  pursuant  to  Article  4  of  the  Merger
    Regulation by which the undertaking Steinhoff International Holdings Limited ('Steinhoff', Republic of South  Africa)  acquires  within  the
    meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Pepkor Holdings Proprietary  Limited  ('Pepkor',
    Republic of South Africa) by way of purchase of shares.[3]

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

      – Steinhoff is active in Europe in the retailing of furniture, household  goods,  products  for  home  decoration,  electrical  appliances,
        consumer electronics, do-it-yourself home improvement items and floor coverings, as  well  as  in  the  manufacturing  and  wholesale  of
        furniture;

      – Pepkor manages a group of retail chains. In Europe, Pepkor is active through Pepco  and  MacDan,  retailers  of  clothing  and  footwear,
        household goods and products for home decoration, as well  as  cosmetics  and  cellular  airtime.  MacDan  also  sells  small  electrical
        appliances.

 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(c)i 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)
                                        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]   OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p.3 ("the EEA Agreement").

[3]   Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 78, 6.3.2015, p. 8.

[4]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE