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Netherlands: Regulator blocks proposed postal services merger

By  |  September 5, 2019

On Thursday, September 5, the Dutch market regulator announced  it would not allow the proposed €130 million (US$144.8 million) acquisition by postal service company PostNL of its main rival Sandd because it would create a monopoly. 

The Netherlands’ Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) stated that after careful consideration it “will not provide a licence” for the acquisition, proposed in February. 

The companies had proposed combining the two largest mail companies in the country. PostNL employs 18,000 delivery staff and delivers 1.78 billion letters annually, compared with 16,000 delivery staff at Sandd and 720 million letters. 

PostNL, which proposed merging the services after years of declines in postal volume, stated the companies “will ask the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy to approve the merger of their postal networks.” 

The ACM stated the merger was not in the best interests of customers and would result in price increases of 30-40%.

Full Content: Reuters

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