17.7.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 210/12


Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.6654 — Melrose plc/Elster Group SE)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

2012/C 210/10

1.

On 6 July 2012, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which Melrose plc (‘Melrose’, United Kingdom) will indirectly acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control over Elster Group SE (‘Elster’, Germany), by way of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

for Melrose: acquisition of high quality manufacturing business with exposure to strong end-markets and provision of management services,

for Elster: manufacture and sale of gas, electricity and water meters, and related services and products.

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the EC 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 EC Merger Regulation (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the 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 number COMP/M.6654 — Melrose plc/Elster Group SE, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

J-70

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË


(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘EC Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32 (‘Notice on a simplified procedure’).