CELEX: 32017M8500
Language: en
Date: 2017-07-14 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 14/07/2017 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.8500 - CENTRAL / SIGNA PRIME /JVCO) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                     
                  
               
               Brussels, 14.7.2017
            
            
               C(2017) 5127 final
            
            
            
               To the notifying parties
            
            
               Subject:Case M.8500 – CENTRAL / SIGNA PRIME /JVCO 
                  Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004
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                and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area
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               Dear Sir or Madam,
            
            
               1.On 20 June 2017, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which the undertakings Harng Central Department Store Ltd (‘Central’, Thailand) and Berlin, Tauentzienstraße 21-24 Beteiligung A Sàrl, a subsidiary of SIGNA Prime Selection AG (‘SIGNA’, Austria) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control over Berlin, Passauer Straße 1-3 Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG and its general partner Berlin, Passauer Straße 1-3 Management GmbH both of Germany (together ‘JVCo’), by way of purchase of shares.
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               2.The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
            
            
               -for Central: family owned holding company which is active through subsidiaries in merchandising, real estate, retailing, hospitality and restaurants activities primarily in Southeast Asia including Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
            
            
               -for SIGNA: engaged in real estate activities, i.e. purchase, rent, lease and management of land and buildings as well as project development. The associated group under the control of SIGNA Retail GmbH is active in retail trade and operates, in particular, the Karstadt department store chain.
            
            
               -for JVCo: owner of a real estate property plot in Berlin which is currently occupied by a multi storey car park.
            
            
               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) and 5(c) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.
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               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)
               Johannes LAITENBERGER
                  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)
                   
                        OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the 'EEA Agreement').
               
               
                  
                     (3)
                   
                        Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 205, 29.06.2017, p. 59.
               
               
                  
                     (4)
                  
                  
                      
                           OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.