CELEX: 32021M10278
Language: en
Date: 2021-06-14 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 14/06/2021 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.10278 - EQT / CERBA) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                                                                Brussels, 14.6.2021
                                                                C(2021) 4350 final
                                                                                 PUBLIC VERSION
                                                                EQT Fund Management S.à r.l.
                                                                26A, Boulevard Royal
                                                                L-2449 Luxembourg
                                                                Luxembourg
Subject:        Case M.10278 – EQT / CERBA
                Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation
                                       1
                (EC) No 139/2004 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European
                                    2
                Economic Area
Dear Sir or Madam,
1.      On 19 May 2021, the European Commission received notification of a proposed
        concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which the
        undertaking EQT Fund Management S.à r.l. (“EQT”, Luxembourg) acquires within
        the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of
        the undertaking Cerba Group (“Cerba”, France) by way of purchase of shares.3
2.      The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
        −     for EQT: investment fund manager for the investment fund EQT IX, which seeks
              to make investments primarily in Europe. The EQT funds’ portfolio companies
              are active in a variety of industries and sectors, including in the pharmaceutical
              sector, in elderly care and veterinary services,
        −     for Cerba: global and diversified laboratory services company operating within
              clinical pathology in France and internationally. It is currently active in 40
              countries across five continents. Cerba is active in three main business lines: (i)
              specialty testing; (ii) routine testing and; and (iii) clinical trial. It also offers
              veterinary biology and well-being services.
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 201, 28.5.2021, p. 15.
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--- 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(b) 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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