CELEX: 32014M7256
Language: en
Date: 2014-05-16 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 16/05/2014 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7256 - KKR / HIG / ESTRO) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |
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                                        Brussels, 16.5.2014
                                        C(2014) 3403 final

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|To the notifying parties:                                          |                                                                   |

Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

Subject:    Case M.7256 - KKR / HIG / ESTRO
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1]

   1. On 15.04.2014, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation  by
      which KKR & Co, L.P. ("KKR", United States of America) and H.I.G. Capital ("HIG", United States of America) acquire within the  meaning  of
      Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Estro Groep B.V. ("Estro", the Netherlands) by way of purchase of shares[2].

   2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

      -     for KKR: provision of a broad range of alternative asset management services to public  and  private  market  investors  and  capital
           market solutions for the firm, its portfolio companies and clients.

      -     for HIG: provision of capital to small and medium-sized companies with attractive growth potential.  HIG  invests  in  management-led
           buyouts and recapitalizations of profitable and well managed manufacturing or service businesses.

      -     for Estro: provision of child day care services in the Netherlands.

 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[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 131, 30.04.2014, p.  8.

[3]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE