CELEX: 32020M9787
Language: en
Date: 2020-08-06 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 06/08/2020 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.9787 - ČESKÁ SPOŘITELNA / ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ OBCHODNÍ BANKA / KOMERČNÍ BANKA / JV) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                                                                Brussels, 6.8.2020
                                                                C(2020) 5521 final
                                                                                 PUBLIC VERSION
                                                                To the notifying parties
Subject:        Case M.9787 -ČESKÁ SPOŘITELNA / ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ
                OBCHODNÍ BANKA / KOMERČNÍ BANKA / JV
                Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation
                                       1
                (EC) No 139/2004 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European
                                    2
                Economic Area
Dear Sir or Madam,
1.      On 10 July 2020, the European Commission received notification of a proposed
        concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which the
        undertakings Česká spořitelna, a.s. (“ČS”, Czech Republic), belonging to Erste Group
        Bank AG (Austria), Československá obchodní banka, a.s. (“ČSOB”, Czech Republic),
        belonging to KBC Group (Belgium), and Komerční banka, a.s. (“KB”, Czech
        Republic), belonging to Société Générale Group (France) acquire within the meaning
        of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of a joint venture
        company to be created(the “JV”, Czech Republic).
        The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.3
2.      The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
             for ČS, ČSOB and KB: provision of a wide range of banking and financial
              services to individuals and corporates in the Czech Republic.
         for the JV: provision of e-identification services in the Czech Republic.
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 238, 20.07.2020, p.14.
Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel, BELGIË
Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu.
 ---pagebreak--- 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 139/2004.4
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)
                                                  Olivier GUERSENT
                                                  Director-General
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.
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