CELEX: 32016M7929
Language: en
Date: 2016-02-17 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 17/02/2016 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7929 - MITSUBISHI CORPORATION / KKR / SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE PLC AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |

                                        Brussels, 17.2.2016
                                        C(2016) 1089 final

                                        [pic]

|To the notifying parties:                                              |                                                                             |
|                                                                       |                                                                             |

Dear Sirs,

Subject:    Case M.7929- MITSUBISHI CORPORATION / KKR / SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE PLC AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES
         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 22 January 2016, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation
    by which the undertaking Mitsubishi Coorporation (Japan, "Mitsubishi Corporation") and KKR & Co. L.P (USA, "KKR") acquire within the meaning
    of Article 3(1)(b) of the  Merger Regulation joint control of South Staffordshire  Plc  (United  Kingdom,  "SSP")  by  way  of  purchase  of
    shares.[3]

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

  – Mitsubishi Corporation is a global integrated trading company which develops and operates businesses across a variety of industries.

  – KKR is a global investment firm, which offers a broad range of alternative asset funds  and  other  investment  products  to  investors  and
    provides capital markets solutions for the firm, its portfolio companies and clients.

  – SSP The Target Group is an integrated services group active in the areas of regulated and unregulated water supply and related services.

 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

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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]   OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 ("the EEA Agreement").

[3]   Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 37, 30.01.2016 p.5.

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

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE