4.3.2017   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 69/11

1.

On 24 February 2017, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (‘OTPP’, Canada) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of the undertaking PHM Holdco 19 SARL, the ultimate holding company of OGF and its subsidiaries (together the ‘OGF Group’ or the ‘Target’, France), by way of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—   for OTPP: administers pension benefits and invests pension plan assets on behalf of active and retired teachers in the Canadian province of Ontario; OTPP also controls the Westerleigh Group, a developer and operator of crematoria and cemeteries in the United Kingdom,

—   for OGF Group: active in the French funeral service sector, providing (i) embalming, burial and cremation services, (ii) coffins, monuments and other items (such as flowers), (iii) crematorium management, (iv) pre-need insurance contracts and (v) supplying coffins through its two coffin-manufacturing sites.

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in this Notice.

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference M.8398 — OTPP/OGF Group, to the following address: