The President of UOKiK has given her consent to the takeover of Media Regionalne by Polskapresse. However, the transaction may be performed on certain conditions – mainly the sale of Dziennik Wschodni

Participants to the concentration deal with, inter alia, press publication (mainly regional dailies), newspapers printing and the sale of advertising spaces in print media. Polskapresse belongs to the Verlagsgruppe Passa capital group, which issues titles such as Express Ilustrowany, Dziennik Bałtycki, Dziennik Polski, Gazeta Krakowska, Kurier Lubelski, or Gazeta  Wrocławska. Media Regionalne is a subsidiary of Mecom Holdings, and the issuer of following titles: Gazeta Lubuska, Dziennik Wschodni, Nowa Trybuna Opolska, or Kurier Poranny. The transaction will be based on the sole takeover of Media Regionalne by Polskapresse.

When examining the results of intended takeover, the Office inspected the impact of concentration on competition on local markets of particular voivodeships. A vast majority of papers issued by the two companies is mainly focused on regional matters. Consequently, they are competitors neither for nationwide titles nor less expanded local ones dealing with e.g. matters concerning one or two poviats. The conducted proceedings revealed that this transaction would lead to the restriction of competition on two markets of Lubelskie voivodeship – regional dailies and regional print media adertising markets. In this area Polskapresse publishes Kurier Lubelski, and Media Regionalne – Dziennik Wschodni. They are the most powerful newspapers in this region and two out of three papers published in the territory of the whole voivodeship. Gazeta Wyborcza with its local insert is their only competitor. However its share, estimated based on issues sold and sales income, is considerably lower. Moreover, participants to this concentration own greatest package of shares in the market for regional press advertising in this voivodeship.

The President of UOKiK has given her consent to the sole takeover of Media Regionalne by Polskapresse upon fulfillment by Polskapresse of specified conditions. In a year time from the decision issue, Polskapresse is obliged to sell Dziennik Wschodni and domeny dziennikwschodni.pl and e-dziennikwschodni.pl. This concerns, in particular, the ownership right to the mentioned title, websites and trade marks. The sale must be performed for the benefit of an investor being in possession of necessary technical and organizational backup. The buying entity must be from beyond the capital group of the acquiring party and accepted beforehand by the Office. In case the purchasing entity does not guarantee the continuation of running the regional daily, the President of UOKiK will not give green light to such transaction. Until the sale is performed, Polskapresse will be obliged to prevent from decreasing the recognition and accessibility of  Dziennik Wschodni, e.g. through maintaining the volume and previous characteristics of the daily and the Internet domains.

The Office will be informed of the implementation of all parts of imposed condition every three months.

Under the law, any transaction is subject to notification to the antitrust authority if it involves undertakings whose total turnover in the preceding year exceeded EUR 1 billion globally or EUR 50 million in Poland.

When assessing the concentration, the President of the Office may prohibit the transaction, issue a consent to the implementation of the transaction, or make it conditional upon the fulfilment of additional obligations by the undertaking. Since the year 2004, this has been the 17^th decision obliging the undertaking notifying a transaction to fulfil commitments, and the second out of 135 decisions issued in 2013.

The decision is not final and may be appealed against to the Court of Competition and Consumer Protection (pl. SOKiK). Information on all concentration-related antitrust proceedings conducted by the Office is available on the Office’s website.

Additional information for the media:

Małgorzata Cieloch, Spokesperson for UOKiK
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Tel.: +48 22 827 28 92, 55 60 106, 55 60 430
Fax: +48 22 826 11 86
E-mail: [SCODE]bWFsZ29yemF0YS5jaWVsb2NoQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]