CELEX: 32017M8338
Language: en
Date: 2017-01-25 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 25/01/2017 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.8338 - APAX PARTNERS / UNILABS) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                     
                  
               
               Brussels, 25.01.2017
            
            
               C(2017) 475 final
            
            
               
                  PUBLIC VERSION
               
            
            
               
            
               
            
               Subject:Case M.8338 - APAX PARTNERS / UNILABS 
                  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 22 December 2016, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which funds advised by Apax Partners LLP ("AP", United Kingdom) indirectly acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of Unilabs Holding AB ("Unilabs", Sweden) by way of purchase of shares in its holding company.
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               2.The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
            
            
               -AP is an adviser to private equity funds investing in a range of industry sectors such as the sector of technology and telecommunications, the services sector, the healthcare sector and in the consumer sector.
            
            
               -Unilabs is a provider of diagnostic services, active in the provision of bio-medical testing services, medical imaging services, reproductive medicine services and drug development services in a number of European countries.
            
            
               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) and 5(d) 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 005, 07.01.2017, p. 3.
               
               
                  
                     (4)
                  
                  
                      
                           OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.