CELEX: 32014M7266
Language: en
Date: 2014-08-05 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 05/08/2014 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7266 - D'IETEREN / CONTINENTAL / JV) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |
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                                        Brussels, 5.8.2014
                                        C(2014) 5739 final

|PUBLIC VERSION                                   |
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|SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE                      |
|To the notifying parties:                                          |                                                                   |
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Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

Subject:    Case M.7266 - D'IETEREN/ CONTINENTAL/ JV
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1]

1.    On 10 July 2014, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the  Merger  Regulation
      by which S.A. D'Ieteren N.V. ("D'Ieteren", Belgium), controlled by the D'Ieteren family, and Continental Automotive Holding Netherlands  BV
      (Netherlands), controlled by Continental AG ("Continental", Germany),  acquire  within  the  meaning  of  Article  3(1)(b)  of  the  Merger
      Regulation joint control of a newly created company constituting a joint venture (the "JV") by way of purchase of shares.

2.    The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

      -     for D'Ieteren: in Belgium, distribution of  Volkswagen,  Audi,  Skoda,  Seat,  Porsche,  Bentley,  Lamborghini,  Bugatti  and  Yamaha
           vehicles, spare parts, accessories and after-sale services for the same brands; sale of used vehicles; automotive financial services;
           operating and financial leasing services; in several countries in the EEA, supply of virtual key systems for  car-sharing  solutions;
           internationally, vehicle glass repair and replacement;

      -     for Continental: internationally, supply of various components to the automotive industry, including braking systems, sensors,  tires
           and electrical and electronic products and systems;

      -     for the JV: in several countries in the EEA, key systems to enable  access  to  cars  for  the  purposes  of  car-sharing  solutions;
           provision of services (via smartphones applications, websites and software) related to car-sharing solutions,  including  car-booking
           and selection, invoicing services, reporting services and fleet management services[2].

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(a) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of  certain  concentrations  under
      Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[3].

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.

                                        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 227 on 17.07.2014, p. 22.
[3]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.