1.   

On 19 February 2021, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).

This notification concerns the following undertakings:

—	Schwarz Group (Germany), including its subsidiairies SB PreZero GmbH & Co. KG, PreZero International GmbH and SB Dienstleistung KG (Germany), belonging to Schwarz Group (Germany),

—

Suez Group (France), including its subsidiaries Brahms Abfallentsorgung Deutschland GmbH (Germany), SUEZ Polska sp. z o.o. (Poland), Recycling & Recovery Netherlands B.V. (Netherlands), Jean Lamesch Exploitation S.A., (Luxembourg), SUEZ Immobilia GmbH & CO. KG and SUEZ Immobilien GmbH (both of Germany).

SB PreZero GmbH & Co. KG, PreZero International GmbH and SB Dienstleistung KG (together ‘Schwarz Group’) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of the whole of Brahms Abfallentsorgung Deutschland GmbH, SUEZ Polska sp. z o.o., Recycling & Recovery Netherlands B.V., Jean Lamesch Exploitation S.A., SUEZ Immobilia GmbH & CO. KG and SUEZ Immobilien GmbH (together ‘SUEZ Waste Management Companies’).

The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares and assets.

2.   

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—	for Schwarz Group: food retailing in over 30 countries through its retail chains Lidl and Kaufland, as well as the collection, sorting, processing and recycling of waste as an integrated service provider in the field of waste management under its Prezero brand;

—	for SUEZ Waste Management Companies: the collection, pretreatment, sorting, recycling, disposal of waste and trading of waste and commodities in each of Germany, Poland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

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.

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. The following reference should always be specified:

M.10047 — Schwarz Group/SUEZ Waste Management Companies

Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:

Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Fax +32 22964301

Postal address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË