COMMISSION DECISION of 11/05/2001 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No IV/M.2407 - BERTELSMANN/RTL GROUP) according to Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 (Only the English text is authentic) Official Journal 291 , 17/10/2001 P. 0005 - 0005 COMMISSION DECISION of 11/05/2001 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No IV/M.2407 - BERTELSMANN/RTL GROUP) according to Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 (Only the English text is authentic) Brussels, 11/05/2001 SG (2001) D/288514 To the notifying party: Dear Madam and Sir, Subject:
Case No. COMP/M. 2407 BERTELSMANN / RTL GROUP Notification of 03.04.2001 pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 [1] Publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C 115, 20.04.2001, page 2 1. [1] OJ L 395, 30.12.1989 p. 1; corrected version OJ L 257 of 21.9.1990, p. 13, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1310/97, OJ L 180, 9.7.1997, p. 1, corrigendum in OJ L 40, 13.2.1998, p. 17. 2. On 03.04.2001, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 by which Bertelsmann AG ("Bertelsmann") acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation sole control of RTL Group SA ("RTL") by way of purchase of shares of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert S.A.
("GBL"). The business activities of the undertakings concerned are : for undertaking Bertelsmann : publishing, printing and distribution of books and magazines, book clubs, publishing and distribution of music and records / compact discs, television, and multi-media related services for undertaking RTL Group : jointly controlled venture in which the parent companies have concentrated their television and broadcasting activities. 3. After examination of the notification, the Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89 and of paragraph 4 lit c (ii) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89.
4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the common market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4064/89. For the Commission (Signed) Mario MONTI Member of the Commission