CELEX: 32016M7984
Language: en
Date: 2016-08-01 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 01/08/2016 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7984 - BRIDGESTONE / PNEUHAGE / JV) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |

                                        Brussels, 01.08.2016
                                        C(2016) 5115 final

                                        [pic]

                                        [pic]

                                        To the notifying parties

Dear Sirs,

Subject:    Case M.7984 – BRIDGESTONE / PNEUHAGE / JV
         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 4 July 2016, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation  by
    which the undertakings Bridgestone Deutschland GmbH ('BS Deutschland', Germany) belonging to Bridgestone Corporation  (Japan)  and  Pneuhage
    Management GmbH & Co. KG ('Pneuhage', Germany) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of  the  Merger  Regulation  joint  control  of
    Pneuhage Partners Group GmbH & Col. KG ('PGG', Germany), by way of purchase of shares.[3]

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

      – BS Deutschland is active in the wholesale and retail trade of new tyres of various types, such as car,  truck,  motorcycle,  agricultural
        and earthmoving tyres and in the retreading of truck tyres in Germany.

      – Pneuhage is active in the wholealsale and retail supply and distribution of replacement tyres and rims for a variety of vehicles such  as
        cars, trucks, motorcycles, agricultural and earthmoving vehicles and the retreading of bus  and  truck  tyres  in  Germany,  France,  and
        Poland.

      – PGG is active in the retail distribution of tyres and car related services in Germany.

 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) 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)

                                        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 252, 12.7.2016, p. 11.
[4]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

-----------------------
                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE