CELEX: 32014M7126
Language: en
Date: 2014-01-23 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 23/01/2014 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7126 - HELLMAN & FRIEDMAN / SCOUT 24) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |
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                                       Brussels, 23.1.2014
                                       C(2014) 425 final

                                        |To the notifying party:                                            |                                                                   |
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Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

Subject:    Case No COMP/M.7126 - HELLMAN & FRIEDMAN/ SCOUT24
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1]

1.    On 9 December 2013, the European Commission received notification of  a  proposed  concentration  pursuant  to  Article  4  of  the  Merger
      Regulation by which the undertaking Hellman & Friedman Corporate Investors VII, L.P. , one  of  the  private  equity  funds  controlled  by
      Hellman & Friedman LLC (such funds, collectively with Hellman & Friedman LLC, "H&F", USA), acquires within the meaning of  Article  3(1)(b)
      of the Merger Regulation control of the undertaking Scout24 Holding GmbH (''Scout24'', Germany), by way of purchase of shares[2].

2.    The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

      -     for H&F:  private equity funds with the objective to invest long-term equity capital in businesses in growing markets;

      -     for SCOUT24: web platforms and online marketplaces.

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 366, 14-12-2013, p. 37.

[3]   OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32.

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE