Belgium’s Media Minister, Jacqueline Galant, has urged the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) to “fully play its role” and actively monitor a proposed merger between media groups IPM and Rossel.
“The Belgian Competition will have to fully play its role, in my view, of guaranteeing that the market functions properly,” in this regard, Minister Galant said at a sitting of the Federation of Wallonia-Brussels (FWB) Parliament.
Queried by various legislators on the proposed merger, Minister Galant pointed out that media consolidation was a widespread phenomenon across Europe, not just in Belgium, and suggested that the most effective response to such changes could come only at the European level.
In this regard, she noted the upcoming domestication of the European Freedom Act in the FWB would be “essential.”
She also announced plans to meet on Friday with the CEOs of Rossel and IPM, Bernard Marchant and François le Hodey, to discuss the proposed union.
Rossel and IPM began exploring a possible merger in early June, but any completed deal would likely not occur until 2026 or 2027.
The companies cite increased competition from tech giants in digital advertising, free news articles from RTBF, and changes in newspaper distribution via Bpost as motivations for the merger.
The socialist group in the FWB parliament has called for hearings on the matter.
