Friday, 05 January 2024 11:15

Decision 839/2024

Decision adopted on the joined cases concerning (a) the ex officio investigation conducted by the Directorate General for Competition (hereinafter “DGC”) into the market for the provision of banking services and, in particular, in the sub-markets for retail and corporate banking, card issuing and acquiring, as well as into the markets for interbank systems, payment services and electronic transactions and (b) the ex officio investigation conducted by the DGC, following a complaint, into the markets for payment services, card issuing and merchant acquiring activities, provision of trading network services by use of electronic payment terminals and other devices, provision of acquiring processing services and interbank systems, in order to determine whether there is an infringement of Articles 1 and 2 of Law 3959/2011 (Greek Competition Act), as in force, and 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (hereinafter “TFEU”), following the settlement proposals submitted by the undertaking “HSBC CONTINENTAL EUROPE”.

Decision 839/2024

File (PDF) Decision 839/2024
Date of Issuance of Decision 05/01/2024
Issue Number of Government Gazette 2029/B΄/28.04.2025
Relevant Market

Market for the wholesale, imports, exports and distribution of drugs and pharmaceutical products, pharmaceutical substances and parapharmaceutical products.

Subject of the Decision

Clearance decision on the notified concentration, pursuant to Articles 5-10 of Law 3959/2011, concerning the acquisition of sole control by the company under the name “PROFARM S.A.” over the companies a) “PHARMA GROUP MESSINIAS S.A.”, b) “PHARMA GROUP ACHAIAS S.A.” and c) “PHARMA GROUP ARGOLIDAS S.A.”, within the meaning of article 5(2)(b) of Law 3959/2011.

Legal Framework

Articles 5-10 of Law 3959/2011.

Operative part of the Decision

The Hellenic Competition Commission, in Chamber sitting, unanimously approved, under article 8(3) of Law 3959/2011, the notified concentration under ref. no. 9008/17.11.2023 concerning the acquisition of sole control by the company under the name “PROFARM S.A.” over the companies a) “PHARMA GROUP MESSINIAS S.A.”, b) “PHARMA GROUP ACHAIAS S.A.” and c) “PHARMA GROUP ARGOLIDAS S.A.”, as, although falling within the scope of article 6(1) of Law 3959/2011, it does not raise serious concerns as to its compatibility with competition rules in the markets concerned.

Company(ies) concerned
  1. “PROFARM S.A.’’
  2. “PHARMA GROUP MESSINIAS S.A.’’
  3. “PHARMA GROUP ACHAIAS S.A.’’
  4. “PHARMA GROUP ARGOLIDAS S.A.”
Summary of Decision The proposed transaction does not lead to any horizontal overlaps or vertical relationships between the parties concerned. Therefore, it does not raise serious concerns as to its compatibility with competition rules in the individual markets concerned.
Judicial Means -
Decisions by the Court of Appeal of Athens (Administrative Division) -

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