22.5.2013   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 142/6


Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.6936 — Donata/DE Master Blenders)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

2013/C 142/05

1.

On 14 May 2013, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Donata Holding SE (‘Donata’, Austria), a holding company of the Joh. A. Benckiser group, acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking DE Master Blenders 1753 NV (‘DEMB’, the Netherlands) by way of public bid announced on 12 April 2013.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

for Donata: holding company of the Joh. A. Benckiser group, which in turn invests in the fast moving consumer goods sector, including coffee and tea industry,

for DEMB: coffee and tea products in the retail and out of home markets.

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.6936 — Donata/DE Master Blenders, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

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’).