20 05 2024
                                                                                                    
                                                                    merger control                                                            
                                            

                    
                                        
                        

                                                    
                                                                
                                
                                                    
                            
                                            
                    

On 15 May 2024, the Competition Council received a notification of concentration from the Estonian company Ekspress Grupp, which operates the news portal delfi.lt, following its acquisition of 100 per cent of the shares of Lrytas.



On 21 December 2023, the Competition Council has found that Ekspress Grupp violated the Law on Competition by acquiring Lrytas, which operates the news portal lrytas.lt, without notifying the Authority and without obtaining its permission. The Estonian company was fined EUR 140 460 and required to bring the infringement to an end within 2 months or to restore the previous situation or remedy the consequences of the infringement.



In February 2024, having assessed the arguments submitted by Ekspress Grupp regarding the scope and complexity of the notification and the need for additional time and action, the Competition Council postponed the deadline for submitting the notification of the concentration until 22 March 2024. Subsequently, the Authority provided comments to the company on the scope of the information required in the notification, the reasoning and the evidence supporting it.



The Competition Council received the compliant notification of the merger following the acquisition of Lrytas by Ekspress Grupp on 15 May this year. The Authority will examine the information submitted by the parties to the transaction, collect data from other market participants and assess whether the transaction strengthened a dominant position or restricted competition in the relevant markets. 



Market participants have the right to submit their reasoned opinions on the concentration to the Competition Council within 10 working days from the receipt of the notification.



The intended concentration must be notified to the Competition Council and cleared if the combined total turnover of the undertakings involved in the concentration in the last year preceding the concentration exceeds EUR 20 million and the combined total turnover of each of at least two undertakings involved in the concentration in the last year preceding the concentration exceeds EUR 2 million.

                                        

                                                                                                        
                                
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                                                                            Last updated: 20 05 2024

Competition Council Scrutinizes News Portals Merger

Ekspress Grupp, an Estonian company, acquired Lrytas without notifying the Competition Council, resulting in a fine and corrective measures. The Council postponed the notification deadline, received the compliant notification in May 2024, and will assess if the merger strengthens dominance or restricts competition. Market participants can provide feedback, and specific turnover thresholds trigger the need for clearance.

Competition Council Scrutinizes News Portals Merger

The Competition Council is reviewing the acquisition of Lrytas by Ekspress Grupp, concerning the news portals lrytas.lt and delfi.lt.