CELEX: 32014M7261
Language: en
Date: 2014-07-30 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 30/07/2014 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7261 - GOLDMAN SACHS / BLACKSTONE / IPREO) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

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                                        Brussels, 30.07.2014
                                        C(2014) 5552 final

To the notifying parties:

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

Subject:    Case M.7261 -  GOLDMAN SACHS / BLACKSTONE / IPREO
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1]

 1. On 27 June 2014 the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger  Regulation  by
    which the undertakings Goldman Sachs Group, Inc ("Goldman Sachs" USA) and the Blackstone Group L.P. ("Blackstone"  USA)  acquire  within  the
    meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the undertaking  Ipreo Holdings LLC ("Ipreo" USA) by way of purchase  of
    shares.

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

    - Goldman Sachs is a global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a range of  banking,  securities  and
    investment services.

    - Blackstone is a global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services.

    - Ipreo provides world-wide, financial information products including deal execution software, information  databases,  investor  prospecting
    and customer relationship  management  tools  ("CRM"),  as  well  as  market  intelligence  and  analytics,  to  financial  institutions  and
    corporations[2] .

 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) 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 213, 08.07.2014, p. 11.
[3]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE