Commission Decision of 05/09/2011 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.6245 - LIBERTY MUTUAL GROUP / THE IRISH GENERAL BUSINESS OF QUINN INSURANCE LIMITED) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic) |EUROPEAN COMMISSION | Brussels , 05/09/2011 C(2011)6361 PUBLIC VERSION SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE To the notifying party | Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s), Subject: Case No COMP/M.6245 - LIBERTY MUTUAL GROUP/ THE IRISH GENERAL BUSINESS OF QUINN INSURANCE LIMITED Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 [1] 1.
On 29.7.2011, the European Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 by which the undertaking Liberty Mutual Direct Insurance Company Limited ("Liberty", Ireland) belonging to the US group Liberty Mutual (Liberty Group) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of Republic of Ireland general insurance business ("ROI general insurance business") of Quinn Insurance Limited (QIL) by way of purchase of assets [2] . 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are: - for Liberty Group: a property and casualty insurer, providing a wide range of insurance product and services, including motor, property, general liability, workers compensation, commercial multiple peril, global specialty, group disability, assumed reinsurance and surety in the US and other countries of the world. - ROI general insurance business:
Republic of Ireland general insurance business, excluding health and life insurance business of QIL and certain other assets and liabilities. 3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of paragraph 5(c) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 [3] . 4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement.
This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation 5. This decision is without prejudice to the outcome of any investigation by the Commission into State aid received by QIL. For the Commission (signed) Alexander ITALIANER Director General [1]OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 ("the Merger Regulation"). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ("TFEU") has introduced certain changes, such as the replacement of "Community" by "Union" and "common market" by "internal market". The terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision. [2] Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 235, 11.08.2011, p.9. [3] OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p.
32.