7.1.2017   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 5/3

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.8338 — Apax Partners/Unilabs)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2017/C 5/03)

1.

On 22 December 2016, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (‘AP’, United Kingdom) indirectly acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of Unilabs Holding AB (‘Unilabs’, Sweden) by way of purchase of shares in its holding company.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—

AP is an adviser to private equity funds investing in a range of industry sectors such as the sector of technology and telecommunications, the services sector, the healthcare sector and in the consumer sector,

—

Unilabs is a provider of diagnostic services, active in the provision of bio-medical testing services, medical imaging services, reproductive medicine services and drug development services in a number of European countries.

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 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.8338 — Apax Partners/Unilabs, 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 ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.