Merger Notification - Announcement according to § 10 Cartel Act
EQT Fund Management S.à r.l.; WTS Group AG; WTS Tax AG
BWB/Z-6938
On 15.05.2025 the Austrian Federal Competition Authority was notified of the following merger:
Planned purchase process
EQT X, an investment fund managed by EQT Fund Management S.à r.l. (Luxembourg), and WTS Group AG (Germany) intend to indirectly (via Alpos S.à r.l. and Numenor S.à r.l.) acquire joint control over WTS Tax AG (Germany). Ultimately, through a series of transactions and reorganizations, WTS Tax AG will hold all other subsidiaries of WTS Group AG. As part of the transaction two auditors, Mr. Julien Didierjean and Mr. Andréas Tartoras (both Luxembourg), will acquire the majority of the shares in and joint control over Numenor S.à r.l.
The concentration concerns tax advisory and consultancy services.
Affected industry: Accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy.
N - PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES N 69 - Legal and accounting activities, N 69.2 - Accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy, N 69.20 - Accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy
Deadline for bringing in an application pursuant to § 11(1) Cartel Act will end on 12.06.2025.
Entrepreneurs whose legal or economic interests are affected by the merger can bring in a written statement at the Federal Competition Authority or the Federal Cartel Prosecutor within 14 days from publication date.
Note: The intervening party has no right to a certain treatment of the statement and will not gain a party position.
Non-prohibition of the merger
The Federal Competition Authority and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor have not applied for examination of the merger by the Cartel Court. The standstill obligation (§ 17 (1) Cartel Act) ends with effect from 13.06.2025 .